A Fourth Shot at Life
by ACeH-aH
Summary: Set after the end of season seven, Buffy finds that life without her lost friends is harder than imaginable, so what else can she do but pay the price to bring them back?  ALMOST all characters  Rated T to be safe. Disclaimer.
1. Chapter 1

**A/U: Hey guys, sorry if this is a little "meh", I haven't picked up a pen in a while so I'm a little rusty with my writing. Tell me if my characters are out of character, and lots of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism needed! :)**

**DISOWNER: My idea, everything else isn't mine… Mostly.**

Letters from Hell.

Buffy was rushing like she never had before. Who knew how long that hell god would give her? She grabbed a pen and a pad of paper and ran as fast as she could out of her house and to the graveyard. Pressing the pen to the paper so hard that it tore in places, she wrote Spike a note.

She explained to him that he had to protect her body and keep her hidden for a little while, until her soul came back. A few more quick words, a "take care of everyone for me, be careful introducing Anya and Tara back" and a "see you soon", she ran into the crypt and sat herself on the floor clutching the paper tightly in her hands. Tears stung the backs of her eyelids as she waited to be brought back to hell, for the second time that day. Waiting for the torture to begin was probably worse than the torture itself, at least, she hoped. But it would be worth it right? A little – or a lot – time in hell, seemed a small price to getting her deceased friends back. She just hoped the hell god kept his promise.

Buffy's body went limp in place, and her head sunk to the hard stone floor beneath her. She held her breath, waiting for the torture.

At the site of her, the hell god snapped his long evil fingers, and sent the souls back to their home dimension, with their bodies attached and all. They appeared in the crypt, standing tall, staring, and then their first breaths that brought life (or in Spike's case, "un-life") into them and they awoke from their tragic eternal sleep, right in front of Buffy.

At the site of Buffy dead on the floor, breath left Spike's lungs in a whoosh, and he fell to the floor in front of her. Tara and Anya not far behind him.

"Buffy?" He whispered barely audible in his state of shock. "Buffy?" He pulled her into his arms.

"Is she…" Anya didn't finish her sentence; she just stared with her large eyes at her friend. The three of them wondering silently why they weren't in their deaths any more.

"Her hand," Tara said quickly, pointing down at Buffy. "She's holding something."

Anya bent down and gently unfolded the paper from Buffy's hand. It was crumbled a little on the sides from where she had clung to it. "It's a note, for Spike." She said reading it over. "You're supposed to take care of her until she's back. She's in hell right now." She looked up with a pursed smile on her face.

A hundred years of curses rolled off of Spike's lips, louder than any of the girls had heard in their entire existences. His screams were like the sound of a man in pain much stronger than any hell could bring. He sobbed to the ceiling and cradled her against his chest.

"She'll be ok though, she'll come back." Tara said in as comforting a voice as she could come up with.

"I've been there," Spike whispered into her shoulder. "I've been to hell. I spent a long time there until now. I'd rather of stayed there than know she's in it." He buried his face in her hair and rocked.

A commotion was starting outside the crypt.

"Wait, how long has she been here? What if they're looking for her?" Tara's hands covered her mouth. They all looked towards the door. "They can't know, they won't understand." She pleaded the others for a plan. But they all just stared at one another.

When the door to the crypt burst open, Spike lifted Buffy quickly into the air and raced his way to the trapdoor. "You two make a scene, they'll forget about her for a while, I'll hide her!" He jumped through the hole and disappeared into the dark.

Anya quickly slid the tile back in place and turned to face her friends. When they crowded in calling for Buffy, they stopped dead in their tracks at the sight in front of them, blood draining their faces, eyes wider than seemed possible.

After a confused minute of silence and staring, all joined in a long tearful group hug. Spike came up through the floor moments later, no signs of stress clear on his face.

"Cut the gushy mess, I'm gonna be sick." He snarled.

"Spike?" They said in sequence and turned to face him with eyes as wide as before.

Tara and Anya both thought quickly and herded the group out of Spike's crypt, leaving him to care for Buffy. Words like "catch up" and "how" were thrown around as they slammed the door shut.

Spike sighed and closed his eyes before slipping back down into the lower area. Distress visible in all details of his face, he climbed into his bed and wrapped his arms securely around his lifeless love. How long would he have to wait?

**A/U: Ok, so uhm… Yeah. Hope you liked it? R&R please! I'll be posting the next chapter soon! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

_Catching Up:_

_Buffy's body went limp in place, and her head sunk to the hard stone floor beneath her. She held her breath, waiting for the torture. Anya bent down and gently unfolded the paper from Buffy's hand. "She's in hell." Tara and Anya both thought quickly and herded the group out of Spike's crypt, leaving him to care for Buffy. Spike sighed and closed his eyes before slipping back down into the lower area. He climbed into his bed and wrapped his arms securely around his lifeless love. How long would he have to wait?_

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews and such! I'll keep what you said in mind. Same as last time, constructive criticism please no flames thank you. Sorry if the characters get out of character (Spike especially, I have trouble with the way he talks…). So here it is the next chapter!**

Buffy's eyes stung with tears that stained her cheeks. She had defiantly underestimated hell before. That was a mistake. Her body felt like it was burning at the core. Her skin was turning black and peeling away until all that was left was her bones. But of course, she couldn't die. She was trapped in hell. She shrieked and writhed in agony as the bones in her left leg gave way and fell into the ash that used to be her flesh. She could always change her mind then and go home. But then she couldn't be with her friends. That was the whole point in going to hell, was to be with her friends. And it was still worth it right? At that moment, when her skull burst open, she didn't care. She nearly cracked and fled back to her home dimension when the scene changed abruptly. Suddenly she was whole again, with out pain.

Buffy's relief came too soon. Just as quickly as the pain had left, it came back. Only different this time. She was back in the grave yard. _I'm home already? _She thought bravely to herself. The trip was faster than she had expected. She made her way excitedly over to the crypt to join her friends (if they were there, she expected at least Spike to be, since she left him the note.). She slammed the door open and nearly fell forward with relief when she saw him standing only a few feet away from where she stood herself. Only, he didn't look at her.

Spike was snarling and growling ferociously into the corner of his home. The extravagant smile that had burst across Buffy's face only moments ago vanished like it had never existed.

"NO!" She screamed horrified as Spike took a step forward.

He was moving towards Xander, one of Buffy's _best _friends with a look that would stop even Glory dead in her tracks.

"You stay the hell away from Buffy!" Xander was shouting at Spike. "You have no business with her!"

"No Xander it's ok, I can explain, he-" She broke off when she saw herself laying on the floor right where she had left herself.

"Make me whelp." Spike glowered.

Xander stared at him for a few brief seconds before throwing himself at Spike. Through the wave of Buffy's silent hysterical screaming he shoved a long wooden stake through Spike's chest. He fell to dust.

"No!" She sobbed.

The scene changed again. _What is this? _She demanded to her mind. Did the hell god send her back to watch the "man" she loved get staked? It was definitely a good means of torture. If Spike was gone though, what purpose did she have in hell? She was only there to save him, so that they could be together. She almost took herself home when she remembered Tara and Anya. She had to go on for them.

"Buffy?" A shaky voice said from behind her. She turned around and saw her little sister Dawn, sitting on the floor clinging to a large pointed rock. Bloody tears were pouring from her eyes. "Buffy help me! Why am I here?" She wailed.

"Dawn, Dawn no." Buffy started towards her sister. How could this have happened? Why was Dawn in hell? Dawn that she had tried so hard to protect, who Spike was supposed to be taking care of! No… Spike was dead. She _saw _him die only moments ago. Or at least, it was moments to her…

But suddenly Buffy could no longer control her body. It was moving on it's own. A sound that she didn't make herself, that came from her but she would never have made, a laugh, a laugh so evil sounding, mocking and terrible, escaped her lips. She pressed on forward towards Dawn.

"Buffy I'm here to bring you back… I came to save you. Why are we in hell Buffy?" So Dawn was going to bring Buffy home. That was a definite change in roles. Buffy meant to hug her sister and cry a long with her, but her body was still under someone else's influence.

She picked up a sharp stone that lie at her feet, and in one swift movement, whip it through Dawn's chest, exactly like Xander had done. Dawn's mouth dropped and she fell onto her stomach, blood pouring from everywhere on her body.

Buffy had to leave; she had to get out before anyone else was hurt! She had come to save the one's she loved, but they were dying. One at a time, right in front of her.

But what if it was a joke? What if the hell got was doing this to make her crack? Could that be possible? What if it wasn't a trick, what if she stayed in hell and kept watching this and went home to no one? With a deep shaking breath the scene changed yet again.

Xander walked through the grave yard, humming happily at his love returning to him. It had taken a lot of convincing though. Once they returned to the Magic Box all together, there were questions of the two being demons, (not the Vengeance demon that Anya was) but shape shifting demons out to get them while Buffy was no where to be found. Perhaps it was these to demons who were the reason that Buffy had disappeared! But no. After a _lot _of convincing, it was clear that the two women were back, and safe.

The pure happiness that Xander felt almost disappeared when he opened the door to Spike's crypt, but it was still there. It was covered up by disgust and the feeling of all hopes being crushed, but it was definitely there.

"Spike, Buffy's missing." He said to Spike's back.

"Is she now?" He replied in a tone that sounded more like a statement than a question. But Xander shook it off.

"Yeah, and we were wondering if you'd seen her." He gestured with his arm and shifted his position.

"Yeah I've seen her." Spike said in a matter of fact tone, without turning around to face the "whelp".

"Oh really?" Xander's eyes widened hopefully. "Well where is she? What happened to her?" She interrogated.

"She can't see you right now." He took a swig from a mug, most likely filled with cold blood.

"Oh and why is that?"

"Because you can't see her right now, get out." He turned his head as if watching to see if Xander actually would leave.

"See Spike, I can't do that. We've been looking for Buffy for days now, we're worried about her. If you know something, you've gotta tell me." He pressed, his face growing stern.

"Well she wants to be with me at the moment so if you don't mind-" He whipped around, face more furious than anything Xander had seen in his life.

"You stay the hell away from Buffy!" Xander shouted at Spike. "You have no business with her!"

"Make me whelp." Spike glowered.

**A/N: Cliffhanger much? Yes. Hope you liked it! R&R please!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Catching up:_

_Buffy's body went limp in place, and her head sunk to the hard stone floor beneath her. She held her breath, waiting for the torture. Anya bent down and gently unfolded the paper from Buffy's hand. "She's in hell." Tara and Anya both thought quickly and herded the group out of Spike's crypt, leaving him to care for Buffy. Spike sighed and closed his eyes before slipping back down into the lower area. He climbed into his bed and wrapped his arms securely around his lifeless love. How long would he have to wait?_

**A/N: Like my cliffhanger there? :P haha Sorry guys, I had to! Ok, so… I was gonna wait a while to put this up, just as a tease after the cliff hanger, but oh well. :) HOPE YOU ENJOY! R&R please!**

Spells, Charms, and Crystals.

"Make me, whelp." Spike sneered stepping towards Xander, who had spent the last while demanding that Spike keep away from Buffy.

The door to the crypt opened and closed then, just in time to stop a brawl from beginning inside. "Spike I brought some of Buffy's-" Tara looked surprised at seeing Xander there with Spike, and so made a quick save on what she was saying. "Some of Buffy's recent e-mails… I thought they might be helpful." She tucked her bag under her arm, attempting to make the act look casual.

"Right, well, I'll just put them somewhere." He said pausing between every few syllables.

Xander looked suspiciously back and forth between the two. Why would Tara have brought e-mails to Spike? Why not have one of her friends – Buffy's friends – look at them for hints?

Spike was making aggravated gestures for Tara to get rid of her friend. If he found out about Buffy… He didn't want to think about what the consequences could be. But they were _very _lucky that the scoobies hadn't put together the pieces as of yet. It seemed they would have wondered about the link between Buffy's disappearance, and three deceased friends of Buffy's reappearance.

"Uhm, Xander," She said handing the bag to Spike, who disappeared into the lower level of the crypt. "I was wondering if you could recheck the normal hangout places. You know, the Bronze, and places like that." She gave him her awkward puppy dog look that she often used.

"Yeah, sure." Xander replied with a look that grew even more suspicious every second.

"Well, you heard her. Get on out of here!" Spike snapped.

Xander looked between them again nodding in disgust, before he turned around and walked out of the crypt, slamming the door behind him.

"Right then, I'll just have a look at the –"

"They're not e-mails Spike. It's some of Buffy's things. I just thought, that maybe it might help her a bit to have them…" She blushed slightly but went down into the lower level, followed closely by Spike.

Tara brushed back the hair from Buffy's face and then began emptying the contents of the bag onto the end of the bed. It contained a comfortable looking light blue shirt, and loose pajama bottoms, a hair brush, and a white candle.

"You wouldn't happen to have any matches or anything with you?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I do." He glared at the floor while he climbed his way back up to the main space.

Tara began changing Buffy's clothes, hoping to finish before Spike got back. Not that it really mattered… She did manage to beat him. He came back quite a while after he left with a bright red lighter. He passed it silently to Tara who lit the white candle and put it on the dresser next to the bed.

"I'm hoping it will help bring some peace to her mind." She said glancing at him.

"Yeah…" He starred at the blonde laying only a few steps from him. He missed her, even though she was right in front of him.

"Willow wants to do a spell, a tracking spell?" She eventually brought up.

"I've been trying to convince everyone it's a bad idea, but they decided that if I don't do it, then Willow would. I don't know what'll happen if they find her."

Spike was silent before he finally answered. "Can you take away her magic?"

"What? Spike, that's… Spike."

"Well? Can you?"

"I guess so, I've never really-"

"Well then figure it out. Because if a powerful unstable witch like that finds Buffy, and finds _us_, what's going to happen then?" His voice rose in pitch.

"Ok, I'll do it." She slowly turned away from Buffy, and then made her way out of the crypt.

Back at the Magic Box, Tara pulled out all of the books she could find on the matter, and hid herself away in a corner. She found what she was looking for quickly, and set out to find her ingredients. She was going to take Willow's power away. And she was going to take it for herself. She was going to protect Buffy alongside Spike, and she was going to protect herself, Anya, and her possible new friend Spike.

The next day the magic took place, Tara prepared everything before the others came. She hid at the back of the store while she worked her extremely risky spell. If anything went wrong, anything at all… She didn't know exactly what then, but she didn't want it to happen.

A couple of words from an ancient language, the burning of a candle, and the crushing of some crystals, the spell began to work it's magic. It flowed in a tendril of purple smoke, which only Tara could see, towards Willow. It went inside her, cleansing her body and soul of magic, sweeping it away, and expelling itself from her. It made it's way back to Tara, and pulled itself inside her mind. Spell successful? There was only one way to find out.

Tara joined her friends at the round oak table, and sat down in a chair almost opposite Willow.

"Well, Tara, I would expect that we've waited long enough. We need the spell." Giles said looking at his hands. Tara said nothing. "Willow?" he asked with a gesture of his hand.

"Yeah, I know." She mumbled preparing herself for the upcoming re-rehabilitation. She began working her magic, to no avail. The spell wouldn't cast. "I – I don't know what's going on, my magic won't – I mean, I can't…" she looked at her hands horrified.

Tara smiled from herself and pushed herself away from the table, to go and tell the good news to Spike. He would enjoy this.

**A/N: Did you guys **_**really **_**think I would kill SPIKE? You should be ashamed of yourselves! After Buffy went through SO much to bring him back. Tsk tsk. But yeah, anyways! R&R please, constructive criticism GREATLY appreciated! Tips? Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know it was a little… Slow?**


	4. Chapter 4

_Catching Up:_

_Buffy's body went limp in place, and her head sunk to the hard stone floor beneath her. She held her breath, waiting for the torture. Anya bent down and gently unfolded the paper from Buffy's hand. "She's in hell."_ _A couple of words from an ancient language, the burning of a candle, and the crushing of some crystals, the spell began to work it's magic. The spell wouldn't cast. "I – I don't know what's going on, my magic won't – I mean, I can't…" Willow looked at her hands horrified._

**A/N: Alright… So… I don't really remember where I was going with this (sorry readers…) so if any of you wouldn't mind sending your ideas that would be great! Should've written down what I was gonna right huh? Well, anyways, the usual, R&R please! Constructive criticism!**

**Disowner: I came up with the idea and wrote it down. All else, not mine.**

A snake was slithering it's way along the hot stone floor, hissing and jutting it's tongue out of it's mouth every few seconds. Buffy didn't think there would be any snakes in hell. But hey, why not? The snake was beautifully coloured. It was black and red, with extreme yellow stripes going all down it's body in rings. It reminded her of something she would have seen on a television special. But why would a creature that beautiful be in a world this terrible? She pondered that for a few more seconds as the snake neared her. She put her thin hand out to stroke it's smooth scales, but in a flash it had latched itself into the crease where her wrist began. She flung her arm trying to get rid of the snake, but it was too late. Blood dripped in a fine line down her arm, out of the holes that the snake's sharp fangs still hung from, black venom oozing into her. She made a scared kind of moan, and tried once more to pry the snake from her. The teeth tore through her skin as she ripped it away from her and flung it into a wall where it exploding instantly into dust.

Her arm began to burn, she could see the venom worm it's way throughout her body, up her veins and arteries. Soon she looked like a demon, with black veins sharply pronounced beneath her skin. She cried into her arm as she leaned onto the ground, the pain spread through her like wild fire.

Tara was pulling a brush through Buffy's hair, she was babysitting a corpse. Highlight of her year, she was a corpse' babysitter… It was alright though. Buffy needed her, she had saved her and now Tara was going to help her friend get better. The candle was still burning a day later, but she realized that she would soon need a new one. It was almost at the bottom of the wick.

She didn't think that Spike would take _too _much longer; he was just going to slip out and grab a couple of blood bags. Maybe he had joined in with patrolling. For a minute Tara stopped to wonder about Willow. She had taken away her magic only a day ago… Yet she seemed to be doing fine. It wasn't like she was using it anyway. She'd sworn off magic only a month or so before Tara had died. It was probably better this way.

She put the brush down on the little side table, and stared affectionately.

"Still dead?" A deep English voice sounded through the room.

"That's one way to put it." Tara looked up at Spike and clapped her hands onto her knees.

"Yeah well, that's what you get for making a deal with the devil." He slumped onto the bed with a mug full of blood. He glanced at Tara who looked doubtfully at him. "What, does this bother you?" He smirked taking a swig of the thick salty liquid.

"You don't have to play the strong one around me Spike, it's just us. We're in this together remember?" She smiled encouragingly at him.

His responding laugh wasn't humorous at all, it was hard and cold. He didn't look her in the eye. He lay down beside Buffy, and inconspicuously took her hand in his, stroking the skin on the top with his thumb. Tara laid on her other side and leaned her head against Buffy's shoulder.

"Spike?" Tara whispered into the darkness. It wasn't dark a moment ago… How long had the two been there? The candle was out. Strange. "Spike?" She tried again. No response. She felt across Buffy for the vamp's leather duster, and wacked it hard.

With a startled jump, Spike was awake. "Fell asleep did we?" He muttered mostly to himself. He moved silently across the room, and lit a few new candles. They lit up the room beautifully. "I have some food and drink here if you need." He said casually. When she just stared at him he added, "I couldn't have her starve when she woke up now could I?" He watched her dumbfound expression slowly smile at him.

He left the room for a minute, before returning with a mug full of water, and sandwich that actually looked – not that she would admit it to him – pretty good. She took them gratefully and practically inhaled them. How long _had _she been there?

Suddenly it didn't matter; nothing did at that moment, except the tiny little sound that she heard quite clearly. That one little word… "Spike?" The voice was slightly hysterical.

"Damn it." Spike growled. "Go, quickly." He snarled at Tara.

**A/N: Cliffhanger? Ha. Ok well, Reviews please, constructive criticism, and PLEASE send me ideas! I have NO MORE. :P haha Sorry… I really did forget where this whole fic was going… :S So… Help?**


	5. Chapter 5

_Catching up: Buffy's body went limp in place, and her head sunk to the hard stone floor beneath her. She held her breath, waiting for the torture. Anya bent down and gently unfolded the paper from Buffy's hand. "She's in hell."_ _A couple of words from an ancient language, the burning of a candle, and the crushing of some crystals, the spell began to work it's magic. The spell wouldn't cast. "I – I don't know what's going on, my magic won't – I mean, I can't…" Willow looked at her hands horrified. __"Damn it." Spike growled. "Go, quickly."_

**A/N: Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I have a second fic up if you want to check it out! I know it's a little weird and all… But it could have potential! So yeah, R&R please, and send me some ideas because – like I said before – I don't really remember where I was going with this. But I hope you like!**

Close Calls.

Tara raced up the ladder into the main part of the crypt, breathing hard. She nearly had a heart attack when she ran straight into Xander who was only steps away from going down the ladder himself.

"Xander!" She shouted flinging herself into a hug.

"Tara?" He said at almost the same time. "We thought you'd disappeared too, what are you doing here?" He questioned.

"Oh, I was just – uh – asking Spike if he knew anything else about Buffy. You know, getting kinda desperate." She choked out the words.

"Oh good, 'cause here I was thinking you've gone all Spikey buddy, buddy on us." Xander replied sarcastically. "So, does he know anything?"

"He didn't tell me anything. Let's get something to eat, are you hungry? I'm starving." Tara quickly ushered her friend out of the crypt despite his various attempts to talk to Spike. _No more slip ups._ She told herself.

"Close call huh pet?" Spike whispered dryly against Buffy's hair. He pressed his face against her shoulder, and took her hand. It was when he felt the warm blood beneath her skin that he realized how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten in days. "I'll be back in a minute love, just getting a bit peckish that's all."

In the upper area of the crypt, Spike was massaging a blood bag between his fingers, trying to warm it up as best he could before pouring it into his mug. Cold pig's blood wasn't ideal, but it was what he had. Grimly, he took a swig and sighed contented. He didn't know whether it was the blood playing with his mind, or whether he should have been questioning his sanity, but it was almost as if he could hear a heart beating. Shrugging it off, he took another gulp.

Still hearing the sound, he stopped and listened carefully. He took a cautious step towards the door and grabbed a knife from the table beside him. If there was some little nasty out there, he was going to kill it quickly. He didn't have time for this!

But the heart beat wasn't coming from the door… It was coming from somewhere bellow him…

_Buffy. _He realized. His eyes went wide as he sped impossibly fast back down to where she lay on the bed. He closed his eyes when his heart gave a painful lurch – or felt like it would have had he been alive – when heart break and disappointment sunk in.

Buffy still lay motionless on the bed. Face still white, lips still a deadly shape of blue, and not a breath moving her frail body. This was so _wrong! _He'd rather have stayed dead than see her like this, knowing that she was suffering somewhere for him. It wasn't right; _he _should be the one suffering in hell. Not _her! _It was _she _who had always been so righteous and real, a protector of human kind! If she had to be dead, it should be in heaven. Not in some crazy hell. Not for him, not because of him.

"So what are we gonna do?" Xander slammed his fist down hard on the table. "We've searched everywhere, she's not here!"

"We know that Xander but there is nothing else we can do. Willow's magic has reached it's limit, and we can't just go through dimensions, not only is it dangerous but there are too many. It just wouldn't work." Giles cleaned his glasses with the edge of his shirt.

"Well we sure as hell aren't doing enough!" He was quickly losing patients.

"Well maybe Tara could-"

"No!" Tara interrupted Willow's billionth attempt at _begging _her to do a location spell. "I mean, I'm not powerful enough."

Xander sighed to the ceiling, Anya rubbed his shoulder.

They all sat quietly together for a few moments, none of them daring to say anything more. The tension growing in the Magic Box was almost unbearable.

The scoobies were growing steadily more restless about Buffy's sudden disappearance. Dawn stopped going to school. She refused to go when she thought about her sister out there somewhere, alone, possibly dead, not able to yell at her for not doing her geography project…

"Alright, alright, I think I've tormented you enough now right? Well it was fun while it lasted. Remember our deal. You've proven yourself already."

"Yeah, I'll remember."

The world swirled around Buffy as she was … Teleported? Back into existence. The hell god had played this trick on her before, at least this time she was ready. She would be put back in "her world" with her friends, and then they would die, and she would beg for him to release her, and then she would take it back. Same old thing. Just like when Spike died, and Dawn. She sure as hell wasn't going to fall for it again this time.

**A/N: Hmm… Confused yet? Hope you liked, review please! Check out my other fic, and please send me some ideas for where to go with this one!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Catching up: Buffy's body went limp in place, and her head sunk to the hard stone floor beneath her. She held her breath, waiting for the torture. Anya bent down and gently unfolded the paper from Buffy's hand. "She's in hell."_ _A couple of words from an ancient language, the burning of a candle, and the crushing of some crystals, the spell began to work it's magic. The spell wouldn't cast. "I – I don't know what's going on, my magic won't – I mean, I can't…" Willow looked at her hands horrified. "Damn it." Spike growled. "Go, quickly."_

**A/N: Thanks to Cherryll for her idea about this chapter! Again, R&R please, hope you like!**

Chained up.

A voice whispered into Buffy's ear as she finally felt her feet reach the ground. "One more little thing…" It cooed. "You've proven yourself to me, but now… Prove yourself, to _them_." It laughed maniacally and disappeared into nothing.

_Oh great, a catch. Always a catch… _Buffy thought to herself. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt something touch her face. Slightly skittish after the whole _being in hell _thing, she jumped. The hand that rested on her forehead didn't notice though. Strange… She looked up into the somber face of Tara.

She sat up quickly flinging herself onto Tara. She missed though, and found herself on the floor. Flustered, she picked herself up and went to pull her friend into an embrace, and stopped abruptly. Buffy stared at the hand that rest _inside _of Tara's arm. _This is _not _happening! _She thought desperately.

"Tara?" She gasped. "Tara what's happening?" She gave a quiet moan. _Prove something… He said I had to prove… Prove it to them… How am I supposed to prove anything if I'm not really here? _Buffy then noticed her body was still lying on the bed. She shivered.

That damned hell god tricked her. Obviously, how could she have been so stupid? Of course he wouldn't have been ok with her and her friends being back! She had to think of something quickly.

Tara scratched the spot on her arm where Buffy's hand was still hovering. She quickly snatched it away. When she did, her arm suddenly went through something else though, through Spike's gut. When had he gotten there? This was just too weird.

Spike stood stiffly behind the Buffy ghost and scanned the room with squinted eyes, as if looking for something. He put his hand forward and shot it through Buffy's chest, but when he felt nothing there he shrugged to himself and went over to the dresser where the little white candle needed relighting.

Did they know she was there? In some subconscious part of their minds, they _must _know she was their right? They were definitely acting like it. Tara had felt her hand in her arm hadn't she? And Spike obviously sensed her presence. But how would she make herself known…

Without realising what she was doing, Buffy outstretched her arm and grabbed Spike firmly by the collar on the back of his shirt. He flung about expecting one of the scoobies to have discovered them, but saw no one. Buffy through him across the room where he crashed into the wall with a hard thud.

Why had she done that? She didn't want to hurt Spike. She just wanted to make him know she was there!

But she didn't waste any time. She charged towards him and kicked him hard in the face. His head snapped back and blood started dripping from his nose and mouth. With wide eyes, he and Tara took guard over Buffy's body, and nervously scanned the room over and over again.

Spike's hand reached to grab her, and he would have had he not gone right through her. So… She could touch them… But they couldn't touch her…

She jumped behind them and quickly shoved them both away from her solid form. Why did she do _that_? She wanted them to protect her! That was the whole point! She wasn't in control of herself. Someone else was controlling her.

"No, come on!" She groaned. She wondered if she could get back into her body. If she could do that, then Spike could restrain her. There were chains on the wall that looked like something out of a Frankenstein movie.

It was worth a shot. She jumped, landing on her body. At first she thought she'd only hurt herself with the large heave her body gave. But then she was seeing from real eyes again.

Spike was getting more anxious by the second. He saw Buffy's body lunge forward and growled, switching into his game face and taking a very protective, but risky position above her. He snarled incredibly.

Tara was breathing hard, backed up against the wall. What kind of demon would be attacking them? She hoped that Buffy was ok, but she was petrified. She couldn't take half a step towards her.

"Spike, Spike chains." She gasped from the bed.

"Buffy?" He whispered almost inaudibly.

"Spike, please." A quick pause, and then Buffy flung herself at Tara, her fist snapping back behind her shoulder. Tara screamed at her, but Buffy had already released.

Spike caught her with barely an inch left between her powerful muscles and Tara's delicate face.

"Oh no you don't slayer." He dragged her across the room finally understanding her incomprehensible pleas. He chained her by the fists first, dodging her kicks only barely, and then moved to shackle her ankles. She managed to get a good kick into his face, but then she couldn't move much at all. Finally, restraints.

Now Buffy understood. The hell god wanted her to prove her need for her friends, with the catch that they couldn't hear or see or feel her. And then by making her almost kill them. Good thing Spike was stronger than her. Otherwise her time in torment would have been for absolutely nothing. Or maybe this wasn't at all what she thought. Maybe this was just another form of torture…

**A/N: Review please! Constructive criticism welcome! I hope you like this! **


	7. Chapter 7

_Catching Up: __Spike stood stiffly behind the Buffy ghost and scanned the room with squinted eyes. He put his hand forward and shot it through Buffy's chest, but he felt nothing. Buffy charged towards Spike and kicked him hard in the face. His head snapped back and blood started dripping from his nose and mouth. He chained her by the fists first, dodging her kicks only barely, and then moved to shackle her ankles. The hell god wanted Buffy to prove her need for her friends, with the catch that her friends couldn't hear or see or feel her._

**A/N: Alright, sorry for the long pause. Here's my next chapter. Reviews please? I would LOVE to have some constructive criticism from my readers. See that little button at the bottom? Let's find out what happens when you click it. ;) R&R please, I hope you like this chapter!**

Reality vs. Illusion.

"You should leave." Spike whispered to Tara once Buffy had slummed down and calmed. He brushed his fingers against her cheek and almost smiled when she leaned her face into his palm.

"I don't know Spike, something's wrong. Maybe you shouldn't be alone with her, it's dangerous." Tara answered watching Buffy's sad face.

"Leave, I don't need you here to get in my way." He didn't look at Tara when he addressed her. But she got the hint. His fingers lingered on the shackles and she knew he intended to get them off of her.

Buffy whined quietly like a lost puppy and rolled her head forward, chin resting against her chest.

"Go Tara." Spike whispered again. She hesitated, but against her better nature she did leave with a rueful face.

When Spike was sure that Tara was safely out of the way, he bent down and lifted Buffy's chin, forcing her to look at him. "Alright pet, let's get these off of you." He gripped the shackle on her right hand and was about to unlock it when she muttered something disapproving. When he ignored her she tried to pull away.

"Buffy…" Spike buried his hair into the crease of her shoulder, her hair gently caressing his face. His hand didn't leave the steel bracelet though.

The only sounds that filled the air, a faint heart beat, and quick shallow breaths, disappeared suddenly. The shock of the lack of sound didn't really set in until the skin beneath Spike's cheek felt cold. Cold like death. His lip trembled, she was gone.

Spike choked on his sob as he undid the restraints and pulled her into his arms. He didn't know how long he stayed there holding her, but it must have been a while. When he stood to lay her on the bed, the candle had melted down to the point where flame went out. What was this? Was this just another trick from hell, or was Buffy gone? He needed help. He couldn't sit there and wait any longer. He needed answers. He thanked the heavens when he heard foot steps approaching, and a heart beat. Who cared who it was? They could get help. Anyone could help.

It was Anya. "Well, Tara told me what happened. I'm pretty sure none of those bunch will be coming here any time soon." She smiled proudly to herself. When she saw Spike's grief stricken expression her smile faltered. "What, what is it? Spike tell me." She pouted.

"She has no pulse." He chocked out. "She's not breathing. She has no pulse." He rocked back and forth holding his head. "She's not… She's not…" He gasped for breath.

Anya sat down on the bed slowly, disturbed on some level, but mostly confused. How much had happened since Tara had left them here? She thought for a second that maybe Spike had accidentally killed her. But his hysterics proved otherwise, hopefully.

"Get Tara, or get Willow, or Giles or _anybody_. I want to go inside her mind, I have to find her, and I have to bring her back. She's still there, she's still in hell. I have to bring her back. I have to find her." He whispered through his ragged breathing.

Anya silently obeyed and hurried out of the crypt. Spike closed his eyes and leaned his head against the small body beside him. He clenched his fist, and let out one loud agonized cry to the world that seemed to cruel to exist in.

After what felt like longer than his own existence, Anya returned with Tara and Willow.

"Oh, god." Willow gasped putting a hand to her mouth. "Buffy…" Apparently she hadn't been completely filled in. "Oh, god."

"You have to do a spell." Spike said hardly without taking his eyes away from Buffy. He was half sitting up now, but still holding onto her. "I want to go inside her mind."

"Spike," Willow began, "The spell, it's risky. If I bring you in I don't know if I can get you out. I've never tried to put someone else into a person's mind. The only time I've ever done it was that time Glory took Dawn." She pouted open mouthed at her friend. "How – How long has she been like this?"

"Since the night she disappeared." Tara answered.

"Do it." Spike said. "I don't care what the risk is. Do it." His words were as hard and cold as his eyes. His expression was filled with anger.

There was no way Willow was going to get through to him like this. She sighed in resignation, and moved towards the two. She put one hand to each of their heads, and began to mumble an incantation. She girl was getting good. With one last look at Buffy, Spike closed his eyes.

"Spike! We surely didn't expect to see you here! We would have arranged for a chamber." The hell god smirked at Spike.

"Oh looky here. Spike's in hell again." He rolled his eyes to the ceiling before returning his gaze to the god. "Where's Buffy?" He sighed.

"Oh she's doing her time. I set her free you know, it was her choice to come back." The god said in a nonchalant tone as if he and the vamp had been life long friends.

"Oh really now, and why is that?" This was a test to Spike's very short temper.

"Maybe being here was less painful for her?"

"Or maybe it was because something was making her attack her friends against her will?"

"You caught onto that? Really William you are much more brilliant than you let on." The hell god smiled appreciatively.

"Just show me to her." Spike sighed again.

"What's the magic word?" The hell god taunted.

"_Please, please can you show me to her?" _Spike growled through his teeth. The hell god only ticked response, but pointed to a little cave in the wall not too far off from where Spike was standing.

Buffy was curled in a ball at the far wall of the cave, shaking with wide eyes, and little balls of sweat beading on her forehead and neck. Her tortured soul broke his heart. He approached her cautiously, raising a hand to calm her when her head snapped up with the most fearful expression he had ever seen on her. She shook her head quickly back and forth without stopping. She mumbled continuously under her breath, and even with his excelled vampire hearing he had to strain to hear the constant 'no, no, no' escaping her lips. He wondered for a brief second if she even knew she was saying anything.

"Buffy, it's alright." He cooed gently to her. "You can come back with me now love, you don't need to be here." He crouched down in front of her, and she hesitated for barely a second before continuing her irregular head shaking and mumbling.

**A/N: R&R PLEASE! Hope you enjoyed this! Will post again soon if I get lot's of reviews and hits etc. I NEED constructive criticism! :D Thanks! **


	8. Chapter 8

_Catching Up: __Anya bent down and gently unfolded the paper from Buffy's hand. "She's in hell." __Buffy sat up quickly flinging herself onto Tara; she missed though, and found herself on the floor.__ Buffy charged towards Spike and kicked him hard in the face. __"Alright pet, let's get these off of you." Spike gripped the shackle holding Buffy's right hand. "Oh, god." __Willow gasped. "You have to do a spell." __Spike said "I want to go inside her mind." The hell god smirked at Spike. Buffy mumbled continuously under her breath, and even with his excelled vampire hearing he had to strain to hear the constant 'no, no, no' escaping her lips._

**A/N: Here we go, next chapter coming up! R&R please, I hope you like it!**

Welcome Back.

"Buffy," Spike grabbed her shoulders and shook her, trying desperately to focus her attention on him. "Buffy!" She kept mumbling and shaking her head. Spike huffed out a breath of air in frustration.

"Spike no, no." She breathed with a strangled expression. Her eyes watered up and tears threatened to spill onto her cheeks.

Spike's whole self was heart broken at the sight of his slayer crumpled up on the floor looking so broken. He took her hand and pulled her into his lap. At first she pulled away, but then let her hold him. Her breaths came in gasps, and he assumed that maybe she was crying.

"Buffy come back with me." He whispered to her gently.

"Can't, too much." She sobbed. "You died, Spike I saw you die."

For a second Spike was confused. "Yeah… But you brought me back love. You did it. It worked." He pulled her face around to look at him.

"It worked?" She answered unconvinced. "It worked, and then – and then Xander, Xander staked you." She sobbed and buried her face into Spike's black t shirt.

"What? Xander, that little whelp couldn't get a stake in me pet. 'Sides, Big Bad's back. I don't have my chip." For a second he waited for her horror at the realization, maybe it was the wrong thing to say. But she only clung onto him more desperately. "Come on." He said finally getting to his feet, with her cradled in his arms. She held white knuckled to his shirt.

"Leavin' so soon?" The hell god commented from his throne.

"Yeah, but first – I'd like you to apologize to my girl here." Spike said with a casual tone. Buffy moaned against his chest.

"Apologize? We made a deal William."

"Yeah, and now I'm bringing her home. You've tortured her enough, and now she has to realize that the torture is over so apologize." The hell god only snarled a response.

"How much longer should we wait?" Willow asked worriedly. She could hear Xander come in upstairs, calling for Spike. "Should we bring him back?"

"I dunno," Anya slapped here hands into her lap. "Uh, maybe we should let them come out. He went in to bring her out right? Well, if we bring him out, maybe she'll stay in." She pursed her lips.

Xander jumped down into the lower level of the crypt without using the ladder. "I thought I heard you guys here." He said looking between his friends, and then froze, eyes growing wide. "What is this?" He shouted. There was Buffy, who had been missing for weeks, lying with Spike, who looked like he was just an empty body, and they both looked very dead. "I knew he was hiding her here, he's been holding her captive hasn't he? Ever since he got back." He looked disgusted and moved to tear him away from her, but Anya stepped in front of him.

"Not now sweety, we can't disturb Buffy right now." She took his arm in her hands and tried to pull him up the ladder with her. With a look of silent torture for Buffy, he followed Anya up and began interrogating her.

A gasp followed by "Oh, god!" Took Willow and Tara away from their eavesdropping, and turned their attention to Spike. "What a miserable little-" He began muttering and cursing.

Tara sat on the bed beside Buffy, and smiled gently at her. Buffy was staring up at her friend with a lost, terrified, sad kind of look. The look didn't last long, with a shuddering breath, Buffy's eyes closed again and she fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

"Bring here home when she's ready. We'll explain to the others so they don't question her." Willow said still looking distraughtly at Buffy.

Spike shook his head and pulled her closer to him, tucking her head safely beneath his chin. The girls went up the ladder to join Anya and Xander, and Spike soon heard the click of quietly closing door. They laid their together for hours, sometimes awake, sometimes asleep. Whenever Buffy was awake, she wasn't really there. Her eyes were distant, and she was very tense. But she fell back into a deep slumber with in a few minutes. Spike was just content to hold her living form again.

Spike was leaning on his elbow stroking his fingers along Buffy's cheekbone idly when she finally came to. Her eyes met his with a sadness he couldn't figure out. He brought his lips down to her cheek, and whispered "Welcome back love," against her skin. She stared up at him, a tear escaping her eye, and pulled herself desperately into his embrace. After a few minutes, he pulled away from here. "Stay here, I'll get you something to eat." She was reluctant to leave his side, and so she grabbed his arm and without breaking their connection they made their way – extremely clumsily – up the ladder.

Buffy looked expectedly around, as if waiting for her next punishment to come and torment her. But nothing happened. She side, and gratefully accepted the orange juice that Spike handed to her. He then set to work making a very nice looking sandwich. It was then that Buffy realized how hungry she truly was. Her body had been lying empty of food and water for weeks. She was surprised that she could still move. But then again, she _was _the slayer.

**A/N: Reviews please, I'll write up the next chapter soon! Hope you enjoyed. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

_Catching Up: __Spike brought his lips down to Buffy's cheek, "Welcome back love."_

**A/N: Ready for chapter nine? Well, ready or not, here it comes! R&R PLEASE!**

Black and White Movies.

"Here you are love," Spike handed Buffy a sandwich which she took thankfully, and he watched her with a solemn expression. He hadn't thought about how long it would take for her to bounce back, he had thought to long and hard about seeing her alive again that he'd completely ridded his mind of the thought. But now that he could see her, nervous and expecting in front of him, he realized just how difficult the task might be. She needed a calm and comforting setting so that she could come to her senses. Back at her home with the gang they would be questioning and worried. They would make things very hard for her.

Buffy glanced up at Spike who was still watching her unblinking. She put her sandwich down and questioned him with her eyes. Then she self consciously glanced down at her body to make sure it was as she left it. Her eyes widened when she realized she was in different clothes since she… Died? Had Spike changed her?

"You can stay here as long as you like Buffy." Spike used a soothing voice, cooing her gently.

Buffy ignored his statement. "Why are my clothes different?" She questioned nervously. Did she really want to know the answer? Probably not.

Spike looked dumbstruck for a moment, and then understanding smoothed his brow. "You were gone for a long time Buffy. We weren't going to leave you in your muddy clothes." Then he realized the _real _reason for her discomfort and quickly added, "Tara brought some clothes for you and helped you into them while I was getting some blood. From a pig. Pig's blood. Not human." He gestured his hands trying to make sure she didn't misunderstand and hit him.

To his surprise though, she smiled down into her glass of juice and took a short sip. "So tell me then Spike, what did I miss?" She smiled up at him, almost convinced of being in her real world.

"Everybody to the living room!" Willow called from the Summer's front door. The first ones to oblige were Giles and Anya. Dawn took her sweet time, and Xander was somewhere unknown.

"What is it? Is everything alright?" Giles' constant concern touched Willow; Giles' was like a second father to her.

"Everything's fine." Tara chirped before Willow could answer it in some sort of '_Buffy was in hell and now she's back and she's crazy_' sort of way. Willow gave her a curious look.

Finally, Xander came in the room and sat himself down on the arm of the chair that Anya was seated in. Anya raised an eyebrow to Tara, guessing at where this was going. Anya knowing best of all what was happening (having many years of experience in the tortures of hell trade), was gestured to to speak by Tara.

"Right," she nodded firmly with a tight smile colouring her cheeks. "So, as you all know Buffy's been missing." The way she said it sounded more like a question. The ones in the 'unknown' stared at her in a shocked sort of sadness. "Well… She's back from hell and she'll be home any minute." She nodded to herself pleased at her explaining.

"Wait what?" Xander stared at her like she'd gone insane. Giles mumbled a few unintelligible words and took off his glasses to clean them.

"See, Tara, Spike and I died right? Well Buffy wanted us back to help her fight crazy demons, so she made a deal with the devil and she brought us back." She grew frustrated at the ever growing confusion on the faces of her peers and so she sighed and continued. "Buffy made a deal with a hell god."

"Like Glory you mean?" Dawn asked nervously.

"No, like a devil I mean." Anya snapped, annoyed at the interruption. "Our lives in exchange for her time in hell. And she would have stayed there forever had Willow not done a spell to take Spike into her mind, where he told the devil to 'let her go'," she said the 'let her go' part in a deepness mocking Spike's voice. "And now she's back and Spike's going to bring her home as soon as she's ready."

Waiting for the others to grasp what she'd been saying – and believe it – felt like an eternity to Anya. Tara seemed more patient, but the time was wearing at her patients as well.

"I'm hearing this all for the first time too," Willow broke the silence. "Well, except for the part where I cast the spell, that part I was there for." She said a little uneasily.

Xander's mouth hung open in disbelief. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" He choked out.

"We couldn't," Tara pleaded him not to be angry. "Buffy left Spike a note saying that he had to protect her body, and she didn't want us to tell you because she didn't know if it was going to work, or how long she'd be gone. And also Anya said that it would probably be dangerous for you to know, because the hell god…" She guessed by the look on the crowd's faces, that they didn't want to hear any more. And that was fine with her; she didn't really have the heart to say it.

"So when will she be back?" Dawn whispered tearing up.

"The witches have probably told everyone about you by now." Spike had his arm around Buffy, and they were lying on the couch, watching an old black and white film. Buffy looked up at him, sensing another meaning in his words. "They'll probably be wanting you back." He didn't look at her when he spoke.

"Do you want me to leave?" She sat up slightly hurt. She hadn't considered that she might be intruding. She didn't really know how long she had been there with him taking care of her.

"No!" He jumped up and grab her arm farthest from him. "No, I just… Niblet's been crushed I hear. I haven't really seen her since…" He paused. "Thank you." Buffy looked at him shocked. "Thank you for bringing me back." His words were half hearted, she knew that. Had he not wanted to come back? He raised his eyebrows a bit and pressed his lips together.

It was getting dark outside, he could tell. He thought about taking her home, but decided it'd be best if she stayed at his crypt. At least until he knew she'd be alright.

Buffy looked down at her hands which she had folded in her lap. "Thank you for saving me." She whispered. Spike didn't answer. She looked up, and he was closer to her than she'd realized. His face was only inches from her. Her breath caught in her throat, and her cheeks got warm. She stared at his lips, and barely realized herself pulling herself closer to him. There lips met for barely a second before she remembered that it wasn't real. Something bad would be happening soon. Something really bad.

The way Buffy suddenly pulled away from Spike, hurt him more than he let show. He leaned back against the couch and pressed his finger tips to her forehead, covering his eyes with his palm. He noticed the air's suddenly salty smell, and guessed that Buffy was crying. But he wouldn't dare look at her. Why had she even brought him back? She didn't love him, never had and probably never would. Did she bring him back to torture him more? Make him think she felt something, and then cut him down and left her nearly dead until she decided to come back to him again. But she had said she loved him… She told him right before he died. Was it a parting gift? Make him think she loves him, just so he can die in peace. Did he really believe it though? He hadn't wanted to then. If he had let himself believe it, he could never have done what he'd done. But now…

At war with herself, Buffy decided that if something bad would happen, she'd take it. But for now, she would take whatever comfort she could get in this hell. She leaned against Spike's side, and wrapped her hand around his torso, pressing her tear stained face into his shoulder. Spike responded immediately, pulling her into an embrace unlike any other they'd shared. Other's had been painful (like when she'd beat him up beside the police station), wild (like the night they'd totaled a house), but never like this. This was passionate, filled with a need for each other which wasn't completely lustful as it had always been. Buffy just wanted Spike close to her, and Spike was happy to grant her that wish.

**A/N: Anyone eager to find out how the scoobies respond to Buffy/is this the hell Buffy thinks it is? KEEP READING TO FIND OUT! :D And review. Please. Review? :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry for the long pause, for some reason I couldn't log on. But here it is, the next chapter. R&R and I HOPE you enjoy!**

_Catching up: __"Buffy made a deal with a hell god, our lives in exchange for her time in hell. And she would have stayed there forever had Willow not done a spell to take Spike into her mind." Anya explained to her friends. Xander's mouth hung open in disbelief. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" Spike's face was only inches from Buffy's, there lips met for barely a second before she suddenly pulled away from Spike. "So when will she be back?" Dawn whispered tearing up._

Pulled to Safety

"Spike," Buffy's questioning tone sliced the quiet darkness in Spike's crypt. The old movie they had been watching had been over for some time now, and still they sat together on his leather sofa basking in each other's contentment. "How long was I gone?"

Spike took a minute to think, calculating in his head. "A couple of weeks give or take." He shrugged. "How long was it for you?" It came out in a sad whisper.

"Longer. I think…" She didn't really want to talk about her days in hell. But, she didn't want to leave him wondering about her in hell for too long, and so she answered. Her voice sounded slightly more hysterical and terrified than she'd hoped, and didn't come close to competing with her fear of the topic. "The pain, it would have felt like years even if it was only for seconds, and the visions, they could have just been blurs going by that I got trapped in."

Spike only nodded, not trusting his own voice, and not really knowing what to say.

They sat together for a little while longer before Spike decided on some possibly comforting words for her. "I don't know if this helps pet, but I do know how you feel."

His slayer looked up at his knowingly, and raised a hand to caress his cheek, and feathered her thumb along the scar over his eye.

"I was there until you brought me back. But then again, I've been through worse."

"Worse than hell?" Buffy's shock was evident in her features. What could possibly be worse than hell? Maybe they had been in different hells. Hers was surely the worst thing ever. Seeing the one's she loves being killed, watching them suffer and scream, and then herself burning and writhing… She tried to stop thinking about it. Spike's next words definitely helped her with that.

"When you… Died…" He barely whispered, his eyes closed loosely and a deep frown curling his lips. "Seeing you there… Nothing, not a thing, could make me feel worse than I felt at that second." He breathed a shaky breath and went on. "And then that damned 'bot being all over me that made this worse."

Buffy's chuckle brought him back to earth. "The Buffybot made things worse?" She smiled shocked again.

"Well, yeah. Knowing that she felt that way – even if it was just a program – and knowing that you…" He stood up and walked to the fridge pulling out a bag of blood.

They were silent after that.

"I want to see Buffy." Dawn whined to Tara. "It's been so long!"

"I know Dawnie, but she isn't ready. She's been through a lot of trauma and she needs to get herself together." Tara reassured her.

"And also I hear she's been very violent crazy." Anya grinned nodding her head. "From my experience with human's and hell, part of her mind is probably telling her that she's still in hell. It'll take a while for her to come to her senses and forget that place."

"So you mean," Willow's concern filled her eyes with grief. "Buffy might still think she's being tortured?" She frowned into space.

Anya 'mhm'-ed to the room concluding her speech.

"I wish she would come here though." Giles slumped in his chair in the corner of the Summer's living room. "We could help her, convince her."

"Devil's are very tricky Rupert." Anya clicked her tongue against her cheek. "He's probably convinced her time and time again that she was back and then tortured her and tormented her and made her completely miserable!" Her eyes were sad, though her speedy voice didn't show it.

Xander only shook his head and glared at the floor.

"Maybe I should go back…" Buffy stood up from her spot on the couch. She stared at Spike's back from across the room waiting for an answer that didn't come. Waiting for the worst, she bit her lip and made her way towards the door of the stone home that her Vampire boyfriend lived in. _Boyfriend…_

She reached to pull the door open, and started when a hand sat lightly on her lower back, and Spike reached out and shut the door. He leaned against it silently, not looking at Buffy.

Confused, she reached to open it again, and this time he didn't stop her. She made her way out of the crypt, and turned to look at him expectedly. He glanced at her and then stepped towards her. "I'm coming." He whispered. "I'll take you home." She smiled solemnly and twined her fingers through his. He grinned to himself and then kissed her forehead affectionately, purring against her.

"You purr?" She giggled. He chuckled embarrassed, and leaned away from her. That wasn't what she wanted. "I like it." She said quickly. He replied with a questioning look. "It's sweet." She smiled enthusiastically and his returning smile was purely joy. A smile she'd never seen him wear.

They talked absent mindedly to each other on their way back to the Summer's house, making small talk of all sorts. They were both smiling broadly when they reached the front door, and then reality came back to Buffy and she frowned nervously. What if her friends asked too many questions? What if they wanted to know everything?

Spike felt her caution radiating off of her, and comfortingly wrapped his arm around her waist and watched her take a deep breath before he opened the front door. She didn't step forward right away; she was worrying about what she would see. Blood shed? Seen that. A demon? More like the average night in Sunnydale. What else could the hell god use against her? Then she realized he hadn't used her mother yet. She didn't want to see this, but she supposed she'd see it no matter what she did, and so she braced herself and leaned into Spike as they took their step together over the threshold.

"Did you hear something?" She heard Xander from the other room.

"The door!" Willow chirped loudly, and Buffy heard heavy footsteps hurrying towards them.

Buffy whimpered, and Spike pulled her behind him, shielding her subconsciously against the upcoming attack of hysterical friends. She gripped the hard leather of his jacket in her hand, and his arm tightly in the other. His tight hold on her was almost uncomfortable, but she felt safe.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Spike shouted vehemently. He waited, watching as they all jumped away from him in fear. He grinned evilly to himself, _still got it_. "Right then," he began. "Slayer's had it rough ya hear?" he stared at each of them in turn. "I don't want any of you giving her a hard time or else you'll hafta answer to me. Got that?" Venom laced the words that leaked through his teeth harshly.

From behind him, Buffy trembled slightly and for a second he wondered if it was him that was being the problem.

"S'alright then love." He cooed. "Up to saying hello or am I taking you up to bed?"

"Dawn." She whispered up to him and then yanked his arm towards the stairs pleadingly.

"Alright then." He said quickly to her, understanding her panic only too well. He nodded to Dawn to go up the stairs and she obeyed fervently, pounding up to the second story. Spike pulled Buffy under his arm and hurried her towards the stairs without looking back at the very hurt scoobies. He paused at the top and questioned her. "Might be a good idea to have a chat with the Watcher, yeah?"

She shook her head slowly, and left the safety of his arms to embrace Dawn at the end of the hall, both girls bursting into tears.

Spike watched them cry together sadly for a moment, before calling from the middle of the stairs, "The watcher to then." And then returning with a determined looking Giles.

The girls were shaking violently together, and so Spike lead them softly into Buffy's room.

**A/N: Hmm… Wonder what'll happen next? I hope you do! Don't forget to review PLEASE! :D I'll update soon. Hope you liked.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: So many hits! Over 800 already this month, and yet… Almost no reviews? Are you all trying to make me cry? Here's my next chapter, R&R please! :)**

_Catching up:__ "Thank you for saving me." Buffy whispered, Spike didn't answer. She looked up, and he was closer to her than she'd realized. His face was only inches from her. She stared at his lips, and barely realized herself pulling herself closer to him. There lips met for barely a second. She leaned against Spike's side, and wrapped her hand around his torso, pressing her tear stained face into his shoulder. "Slayer's had it rough ya hear?" Spike stared at each of the scoobies in turn. "I don't want any of you giving her a hard time or else you'll hafta answer to me. Got that?"_

Useless

Spike hesitated from making any sort of contact with Dawn; he assumed she'd be mad at him for not trusting her to know. And she had every right to be mad. He'd been mad when they hadn't trusted _him _with the _Buffy coming back to life _spell the group had done. But then again that was different. Either way, he wasn't going to push the issue.

Buffy sat curled in a ball in the center of the bed, still wrapped in Dawn's arms. Giles stood awkwardly near the door, watching Buffy, and regarding Spike suspiciously. Buffy relaxed hesitantly against the backboard of her bed, pulling away from Dawn. She leaned her head back, and gave a shaky sigh. Her eyes stared as if she would cry if she hadn't already cried herself dry. She felt hollow, the way one usually does after a good cry.

"What was it like?" Dawn trembled through the darkness; they hadn't turned on the lights when they'd entered the room.

Spike's head snapped up as an immediate response to Dawn's question. This was _exactly _the thing he had warned them about downstairs. He felt a growl growing inside of him, but held it back.

"Now Dawn, I would suppose Buffy would like to rest before telling us anything, isn't that right Buffy?" Giles began to clean his glasses with the rim of his shirt.

Spike silently thanked Giles for the quick save. Buffy didn't respond to his sensitive remark though, and Spike could feel the fear burning inside of her. "S'alright now slayer." Spike soothed her from his place in the middle of the room. "No one hear's gonna hurt you tonight. Not on my watch."

Buffy looked up at him then, pleading. He didn't understand what she was asking of him, and hoped he was doing the right thing for her when he moved slowly towards the bed and hesitantly reached out his hand to stroke the hair on the back of her head. He smiled weakly to himself when she leaned her face into his palm and whimpered quietly. She breathed against his hand and turned her body towards him, and he took that as an invitation to snuggle up close to her. Spike was pleased when Buffy curled up against his chest. He continued to stroke her hair while Dawn took up the position to tell Buffy about her school life.

"There's this new girl at school, Darleen." Spike smiled at the familiar glitter of hope that was always visible in his Niblit's eyes. "She's in three of my classes, and she's really nice! She invited me to her house this weekend, with Janis and some other girls." Her head bobbed enthusiastically.

Buffy sat up a bit and turned her attention to Dawn, smiling supportively. "That's great Dawnie, which day were you planning on going?"

Dawn's face light up with excitement. "So I can go?" She said cheerfully.

Buffy smiled and rested her head back against Spike's chest, and traced swirly lines on his arm. He tucked her head beneath his chin, securing her to him.

"Perhaps Buffy would like to rest now." Giles motioned for Dawn to leave the room with him, and then gave a nervous look in Spike's direction. He didn't want to leave Buffy with a lethal vampire, but then again he didn't really have a choice. Besides, Buffy wanted him with her clearly, and worst come to worst, his slayer could take care of herself.

Buffy shut her eyes and eventually the swirling motion of her index finger stopped as she fell into a restless sleep.

In her dream, there were demons everywhere, and somewhere, she could hear the devils very distinctive voice calling to her. She wondered if her vision had just changed to a different part of hell, perhaps the hell god had given her a break? Just a short while to recuperate before her next form of torture.

Spike held Buffy close to him while she slept. She looked so innocent, and peaceful in her sleep. But of course, his train of thought had jinxed the matter. Buffy's face screwed into a tormented sort of frown, and she twisted inside his arms with a good jerk. Spike pulled her shoulders so she would come back to him, and then rubbed her back and sh-ed into her hair.

"He's real." She cried in her sleep. "I can feel him, he's real." She kicked her foot out suddenly, making a loud smacking sound on the mattress.

"Easy there slayer, let's not wake up the bunch." Her stressed face revealed very little of the fear that radiated off of her in tendrils, but also kept no secrets of the nightmare she was in the midst of.

"Spike will protect me." She muttered turning her face to the side. "Spike loves me."

What was this? Spike's confusion was clearly written on his face. Was the slayer dreaming? Or was the hell god back for a little visit?

"Spike." She whimpered softly and then relaxed a little.

"That's right slayer," he cooed. "Spike is here."

Buffy let out a sharp howl of pain and wretched herself out of his arms and covered her face with her hands sobbing.

"Buffy?" Spike pulled her around to look at him. "Buffy, love." His voice was panicked.

Buffy turned to face him with tears pooling in her eyes. "Spike I want to go home, why won't he let me go home?" Her face was so childlike; it brought on new forms of pity to him. "Help me." She chocked and then cried again into his shirt.

Spike felt so useless, his Buffy thought she was in hell. No way he could convince her otherwise, he knew it. He just hoped for her to return to her normal self. Just be her, not being in hell.

**Ok, there it is. Chapter 11… Hope you liked? Reviews please! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! Can I get some constructive criticism please? Here's my new chapter, hope it's as big a hit as the last.**

_Catching up: "Thank you for saving me." Buffy whispered. "Slayer's had it rough ya hear?" Spike stared at each of the scoobies in turn. "I don't want any of you giving her a hard time or else you'll hafta answer to me. Got that?"__ Buffy turned to face him with tears pooling in her eyes. "Spike I want to go home, why won't he let me go home?"_

Early Morning Sunshine.

When Buffy awoke early the next morning, it was still dark out, but she could see through the black windows that the sun was beginning to break over the horizon. Spike was breathing slowly beside her; it was sweet how he breathed in his sleep, still a subconscious act. Of course he didn't need to breath, he didn't always when he was awake.

Buffy stared down at the bleach blonde vampire resting peacefully beside her, and wondered what hell had done to _him._ She'd been there a much shorter time than he. But then again he was a demon where as she wasn't... But that didn't matter at the moment. What about his soul? Had he retained that? And the chip, it was probably still there right? Even though he had turned to dust...

She didn't realise the tear escaping her glossy green eye as unwelcome memories flooded her mind. _"Spike, I love you." "No you don't love but thanks for saying it." And then she had to leave, and then he was dust. Dust in the wind... _She brushed her fingers over his brow and watched him flinch against her cold hand. He was such a deep sleeper. The thought still made her laugh. A demon could blow up his crypt or someone would throw a candle at him and he'd sleep through it. Buffy was experienced with the lesser half of the thought.

Buffy got up to shut the blinds then. She didn't need a dusty bed right after she'd sacrificed so much to do what she'd done. Spike being burned to a third death by sunlight was _not _on her list of things to let happen that day. No sir. He stirred then, eyes squeezing shut and then opening slightly.

"Buffy?" He whispered voice rusty with sleep.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." Buffy joked, she'd heard _that _one too many times for it to be funny, but still Spike smiled and chuckled with his eyes still closed.

"How'd you sleep love?" He sat up slowly and looked at her face for any signs of the stress he'd seen in her last night.

"I slept great." She smiled not seeing the confusion expressed clearly on his face. "Breakfast?" She leapt up from the bed and left the room feeling him stare after her.

"Good morning Buffy! How are you feeling?" Dawn chirped from behind the island where she was making slightly burnt looking French toast.

"Great," Buffy stated plainly. "Make enough for two?"

"Made enough for a lot actually." Dawn grinned into the pan. "Grab a plate."

Buffy took a white flowery plate out of the cupboard and set it down on the counter, watching Dawn flip over soggy pieces of bread.

"Morning Niblet." Spike walked into the room being careful to keep out of the sunlight until Buffy closed the blinds.

"Spike, you're still here!" Dawn looked between them for a second and then blushed back to her work. "Sleep well?"

"'ve slept better." Buffy ignored the comment and reached to grab a piece of French toast. "You remember anything from last night pet?" He didn't look at her when he asked; he just fidgeted with a utensil on the counter.

"What happened last night?" Dawn asked shifting her feet. "Never mind." She quickly added giggling.

Spike simply waited for Buffy's reply, and when he realised he wasn't going to get one he silently moved behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist before whispering for her ears only, "You were talking in your sleep pet." He waited again for a response, and then continued. "Something about... Spike protecting you. And what exactly is Spike protecting you from now love?" Her exhale was shaky and he new her eyes would be wide and staring could he see them.

"From _him_." She barely whispered, and through his demon hearing, he still strained to hear it.

Him? Oh great, his slayer'd gone loony. Something was bothering her, and he needed to find out exactly what. Somehow.

"Who's him love?" he purred.

Buffy tore herself away from him and marched across the house into the living room where Willow and Giles were discussing a news broadcast they'd just witnessed.

"Oh hey Buffy!" Willow smiled to her from the couch. "Are ya hungry? Dawnie's making breakfast, or I could make you pancakes if you don't want French toast, or you don't have to eat at all – if you're not hungry." She smiled still, waiting for Buffy's response which took a little longer than it should have.

"Oh, thanks Will, but I'll just have some of the toast." She sat on the chair opposite Giles' spot on the couch and waited for them to pick up where they'd left off talking about the most recent news.

"Yeah, so me and Giles were just saying how the weather's been acting strange lately." Willow began to explain. "You see, usually we get a steady flow of wind and sun and rain and stuff, but lately we've had really random out bursts of thunder storms and really really sunny days, and it's all kinda strange. Giles thinks it might be supernatural."

"Supernatural weather? Oh this world just keeps getting better and better!" Buffy said casually from her seat. "So what's the dish?"

"Well we think," Giles began. "That we have some kind of elemental, a demon that takes its form as the weather, or control the elements as such. And if it is it could very well be dangerous."

"I see, so we have a killer rainbow maker on our hands. I'll get my stake." She joked, and Giles seriously look to her made her silently take it back.

A sudden crash from the kitchen followed by a loud yelp made them all jump, a snarl from what they could only guess was from a demon sent them flying into the room next to them.

**A/N: I'll just leave you with that little cliff-hanger. Review please? I'd love some constructive criticism! Hope you liked! Will post soon.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: So, I left you with a cliffhanger last time, ha! I guess you'll find out what's going on soon enough, so read and enjoy! Or… I HOPE you enjoy. :) Spoiler: This is a Spuffy based chapter! Enjoy… haha**

_Catching up: "__What exactly am I protecting you from now love?" Spike asked Buffy quietly. "From _him_." Buffy barely whispered. "Who's him love?" he purred. Giles looked up to Buffy, "We may have some kind of elemental, a demon that takes its form as the weather, or control the elements as such." A sudden crash from the kitchen followed by a loud yelp made them all jump, a snarl from what they could only guess was from a demon sent them flying into the room next to them._

Burns, Flesh wounds, and Fire.

Buffy was the first one to make it into the kitchen where the first thing she saw was smoke rising from the floor above a very hysterical vampire.

"Spike!" She screamed and began patting him down. He cussed and hissed loudly until the fire went out. "What happened?" Buffy asked frantically holding his face in her hands.

"Had a bit of an accident love." He winced as a piece of charred shirt rubbed his burned chest. "No biggy."

"A _bit _of an accident?" Buffy laughed nervously and looked her blonde vampire over. "How?"

"Stove lit my shirt on fire." He tore off a shred of his shirt and looked down at his scorched body. "Like I said, no worries." He stood up shakily and nearly fell over. Buffy let him lean heavily against her, and he swore at the pain from her touching his tender skin.

"Get in the shower; I'll get you some new clothes." She mumbled taking him to the stairs.

"Will do pet." He nuzzled her ear affectionately, but she hardly noticed. Her eyes were bright red and filled to the brim with tears. So this was how it was going to be. Make her fall even harder for him than she already had, and then kill him. Good job hell. Let's _really _make Buffy crazy.

They reached the top of the stairs after a few long minutes of half carrying a toasty vampire, and then made their way through the hall to the bathroom.

"Will you be ok?" She whispered without looking at his face. The feeling that leaving him would prove to be detrimental was maddening.

"Yeah," He whispered back, painfully tearing off his shirt. Then he looked at her curiously. "Will you be?" He watched her put her head down so that her blonde locks fell into her face, hiding her fresh tears. "Buffy…" He put one red hand on her shoulder, and with the other he pulled her face up to look at him.

"You would have died." She choked out with a sob, and was grateful when he pulled her into his chest and cradled her against him.

"You saved me." He chuckled lightly at the irony. "It's gonna take a lot more than a little fire to keep me away from you." He kissed the top of her head, and then his demon whined pitifully when her sobs only got harder. "What's troubling you pet?" His voice was pleading and lost of hope. "Buffy please." He moaned into her shoulder. Having her body against his was extremely painful with the burns still fresh, but he bit his tongue against it.

"He took you away from me. And he keeps taking you away from me." It was nearly impossible for Spike to understand her words, but somehow he managed. "I just want to be with you. But he won't let me. He keeps coming for me. And he won't let me go home. I can't be with Spike."

Spike hadn't a clue as to what she was talking about. He just stood there and held his crying beauty and tried to put the pieces together. Perhaps Anya was right; maybe she _did _think she was still in hell. The thought made Spike snarl furiously and he pulled her tighter against him, not even realizing the hiss that escaped him at the pain of his burned flesh being ripped off of him.

"Tell you what slayer," his words were venomous, just like when he was still trying to kill her. "I'll take you back down to the little hell world," he flinched when her muscles tightened with her fear. "And we'll have a little chat with our friendly hell god, and I'll prove to you that you _are _home, and you _are _with me, and you will _always _be with me. Understand pet?" Her nails dug into him while she listened fearfully to his words.

"Help me." She moaned. "God, help me."

Spike didn't know what to do. He felt like it were _he _in hell, rather than her. This was the ultimate torture. Seeing his love, usually strong and together, reduced to _this,_ a small afraid little girl, was almost as bad as seeing her dead in front of him when he could have saved her. After their first apocalypse together with the hell god Glori.

"Buffy listen to me." His jaw clenched. "Love, it's you and it's me. And we're going to get through this." Buffy recognized those as the same words that she'd said to him when he'd gotten his soul back. "Let me help you. I'll help you." The last words he said were a mixture of choked sobs and angry snarls.

"Spike." She breathed as she pulled away from him. She'd forgotten for a moment why they'd come up here.

She walked over to the tub and pulled the metal for the water to rush out. She turned it to cold, and then stepped back staring at the white bath.

"Do you guys think Spike is gonna be ok?" Dawn looked to her friends for any positive thoughts.

Giles spoke up first. "I do hope so; it would definitely be to our disadvantage if he weren't with us." He took off his glasses and began to clean them with a cloth that he took out of his pocket.

Dawn glared angrily at him before Willow lightly added, "What he means is, we don't really know a whole lot about this new demon, and well, we could really use Spike's help." She smiled sheepishly.

"Well I hope for Buffy's sake that he's alright." Tara whispered looking at her hands. "Imagine if he were gone, what would happen to her." In agreement, the scoobies all looked at the floor solemnly. Buffy had gone through so much to bring Spike back. He made her feel safe in a world that she thought was hell. If he were gone, who knows what kind of damage that would do to her mind.

"I'm going to go check on them." Xander gave up. "See if I can help." He climbed the stairs regretfully, and searched the rooms for Buffy and Captain Peroxide. But he didn't find them. "Hey guys?" He called through the long hallway. "Buffy?"No answer.

He walked into the bathroom where the water from the shower head was still coming down in a steady stream, and Spike's tattered shirt lay on the floor at his feet.

Xander ran back down into the living room and burst out, "There gone!" The others stared at him for an explanation. "I just went upstairs and they aren't there. Buffy, and Spike, are gone."

**A/N: Did you like? I hope so! I liked writing the Spuffy moment, and yes, I know **_**exactly **_**where this is going. Unlike before. When I didn't… Ok well anyways, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll have the next chapter up soon!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I just realized a major error in my fic! So Tara took away Willow's powers, but I wrote that Willow did the spell to put Spike with Buffy… Just pretend that it was Tara who did it ok? :P SORRY! I did not realize that. So please enjoy this chapter!**

_Catching up:__ "What's the magic word?" The hell god leered evilly. __The hell god smirked at Spike. Buffy mumbled continuously under her breath, and even with his excelled vampire hearing he had to strain to hear the constant 'no, no, no' escaping her lips.__ "You saved me." Spike chuckled lightly at the irony. Xander ran into the living room, "Buffy, and Spike, are gone." "Help me." Buffy moaned. "God, help me."_

Something About Anya.

"Well, well, well." A voice that could only be described as evil range out. "Look what we have here." The hell god looked up cruelly from his throne and his eyes twinkled as he looked at Buffy and Spike with satisfaction. "Back again for a little visit? So soon?"

"Now listen here you great poof." Spike snarled. "I'm thinking you cheated. You didn't tell the rules to my bird here. And now she's scared half to death thinking she's still here even after you've released her!" Buffy shuddered and pressed herself against Spike, hiding her face in his chest.

"Get a little too much sunlight?" The devil said slyly, enjoying Spike's burns a little too much. Of course he was still shirtless. "There are no rules."

"Yeah well there are now." Spike's growl sent shivers up Buffy's spine. He pulled her trembling form closer to him. He needed to somehow show her that she was safe with him.

"Spike, listen. I'm sorry. Really, I am. If I'd known she was going to end up like this I would have –"

"You would have bloody well done it anyway!" Spike shouted. And then said softly, "You've got a choice to make." The smoothness of his voice after his angry yelling made him sound much more vicious and lethal than he already sounded.

"And what would those be?" The hell god humored him.

A growl sounded like she'd never heard before, threatening, and horrible, and louder than she could have imagined. She would have rather take on the Master and the Mayor and Glory all at once before having to fight this horrible creature.

Spike was on top of the hell god, foot on his chest, holding the collar of his shirt, and snarling into his face.

"Now Spike, think about what you're doing." The hell god protested. His minions were circling them, waiting for a change to take Spike down, to save their master from this psychotic vampire.

"You fix her." Spike sounded like an animal. With growls and snarls shaking his body, Buffy could hardly hear what he was saying.

"You know I can't do that."

"Oh yes you bloody well can!" Spike punched him hard in the face. Buffy screamed. "You do it now, and you do it right or you're going to be in a lot more trouble than you could have ever thought." The anger on his face didn't compare to what he felt inside. No amount of bloodshed, ripping heads from their bodies, ravaging them, could take even the slightest edge off of this fury.

The minions moved in and Buffy panicked. "No, no." She said quietly watching the circle of small devils move closer and closer to her beloved. "Spike!" She screamed. He didn't listen to her. Fine, if this was how it was going to be… She ran up behind the first minion and kicked him hard in the back of the head, sending him flying forwards and smashing his skull into the hard stone floor. She made a break for the next and spun her leg around to meet the side of his face and his head snapped back with a loud _crack _as his neck broke.

Within moments all of the minions were gone, but something told Buffy that more would be coming.

"Spike," she moaned as he continued to ignore her.

"You've got a choice to make." He repeated in the same voice as before to the now very angry devil.

The devil sneered and made up his mind. "Fine, but don't expect any more favors from _me._" He pushed Spike off of him and stood up, brushing himself off.

Spike walked quickly back to Buffy and took her in his arms. "I'm here love, you're safe." He held her head against him as she sobbed into his shirt. Buffy's crying was becoming ritual, every couple of hours or so he would be comforting her. But not any more.

"You're free to go slayer." The devil said coldly. "I don't want you here; I don't want you in my hell. You can go back to your little earthly world with your friends, and live out the rest of you miserable little life." Venom dripped from his teeth as he spoke.

"There now that wasn't so hard." Spike cocked his head at the hell god.

"Get out." The god growled.

"With pleasure."

Back in the bathroom where they'd been standing moments before, the water was still running, and Spike's shirt was still on the floor.

"You're safe, you're alright, Buffy everything is going to be fine now. Love look at me." Spike tried to pull her hands away from her face unsuccessfully. She was sobbing and shaking hard, he wondered for a moment if she was in shock.

He pulled her up from the ground into his arms and brought her into her room, forgetting about the still aching burns. He laid her down onto her bed, and laid down beside her, holding her to him. She rocked again, the same way she had when he'd first found her in hell. He hoped that this time wouldn't be as detrimental as the last.

"It's over now love. He's done with you. You're free." Spike kissed the top of Buffy's head and then pressed his cheek to her hair.

She started to mutter unintelligible words to him. He sat up with her still in his arms, and looked into her face. Her eyes were darting around, and her moving lips quivered. "All done," she said, her voice high from crying. "All done."

With more confusion then ever, Spike stared at her. Watching her hysterics slow to nothing, but she kept up the muttering.

"Bloody hell." He cursed under his breath and called, "'Ey watcher!" Giles would know what to do.

There was no answer. But then, alas, the sound of feet stomping up the stairs made Spike sigh in relief as Tara and Giles filled into the room.

"You're back! Where did you go?" Giles asked sitting on the bed in front of them. "Buffy? Buffy what is it? What's wrong?"

She sat up and collapsed into Giles' waiting embrace, and gasped out her breaths.

"What did you do?" Tara whispered to Spike.

"I had to prove to her she was safe." Spike shut his eyes pained.

"All done, all done." Buffy whimpered. "All done."

"What's all done, Buffy what happened?" Giles stroked her hair and waited for her gasps to subside.

"He's done, all finished with Buffy." She whimpered. "All done."

"You took her back to hell didn't you?" Tara hissed at Spike.

"Is everyone ok?" Anya burst into the room with wide eyes. "Oh god, Buffy?" She glared at Spike. "I know just who did this to you. I got a call from some very angry people in hell saying that William the Bloody's been making a scene."

"All done, it's all done." Buffy pulled Giles' shirt over her face and held him tightly. "No more, it's all done. Spike, Spike!" Her sudden screams made every jump.

"I'm here love." Spike took her hand away from the now very wrinkled coat that Giles had on.

"Spike!" She gasped again. Her eyes were wide and staring at nothing.

"Oh, let me handle this." Anya rolled her eyes. "Move." She huffed at Spike who reluctantly moved away from Buffy. "Come here sweetie." She said calmly and pulled Buffy away from her father figure. "Let's talk to Anya now ok?" She eyed Buffy, waiting for her to relax. It worked. "Are you going to be ok Buffy?" She asked as if she'd rehearsed this in front of a mirror.

"Buffy's fine, Buffy's fine." Her voice shook slightly from the crying.

"Good, now what does Buffy need?" Anya's practice in this area seemed a little strange to the others, but Buffy seemed to be responding _very_ well.

"Buffy's fine." Her breathing returned to a more normal state. "It's all done."

"That's right it is." Anya agreed quietly. She'd done this many times before. With the woman she'd granted wished to back in her time as a vengeance demon. But never had she had to cure the mind of a friend.

Buffy breathed deeply and closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm tired." She said to Anya.

"Do you want to go to sleep sweetie?" Anya asked like a mother would to their little girl.

Buffy nodded and leaned back against her pillow.

"Spike, stay with her while she sleeps. She'll probably have nightmares." Anya gave Buffy one last glance, and sadly made her way from the room.

Tara Giles and Anya gathered in the living room downstairs, and all eyes turned to Anya.

"How did you know what to do?" Tara asked. "You were amazing!"

"Yes quite," Giles cleaned his glasses. "It would seem that you are very practiced in that area Anya."

"Oh I am." Anya nodded. "I've had to do that many times." She smiled at the memories of her old career. Oh, those had been the days.

"I see." Giles returned his glasses to sit on his nose.

**A/N: Well I hope that was intense! Review please, and I'll try to update soon!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Almost 2000 hits this month guys! :D**

_Catching up: "What's the magic word?" The hell god leered evilly. The hell god smirked at Spike. Buffy mumbled continuously under her breath, and even with his excelled vampire hearing he had to strain to hear the constant 'no, no, no' escaping her lips. "You saved me." Spike chuckled lightly at the irony. Xander ran into the living room, "Buffy, and Spike, are gone." "Help me." Buffy moaned. "God, help me."_

Pathetic Fallacy.

"Hey there hansom." A female voice laughed from Xander Harris' living room. Anya was lying in bed beside him, looking angelic in her dream state. Had someone broken in? Xander stumbled out of bed, careful not to wake his girlfriend. They'd since gotten back together after she 'undied'.

"Hello?" He said, voice rough with sleep. He made his way down the hall to the living room, where a very veiny faced woman was sitting on his couch with one leg crossed over the other, and her arm lounging over the red arm of the couch.

"Hey Xander." The demon said casually, perhaps not realizing her trespassing in his home, or perhaps just not caring.

"Hey I know you!" He finally snapped out of him sleepy state, and pointed his finger at her. "You're that vengeance demon that Anya invited to the wedding!" He never really cared for this friend of Anya's; the first time they'd met she'd tried to kill him in her vengeancy ways.

"Yeah, that wedding where you left her standing at the altar? Yeah, hi. How do you do." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"Halfrik?" Anya stepped around the corner of the hall that transitioned into the living area.

"Anyankah! You're alive! How was hell hunny?" She gushed to the other 'ex'-vengeance demon, giving her a quick girly hug, and double kisses.

"Oh, it was fun while it lasted." She looked to Xander and back at Hally with an expression that only she could get away with.

"I see, and now you're back?" Hally looked concerned for her friend's loss. "Why?" Now a little confused as to why she would leave such a homey place. Vengeance demons were usually pretty well off in hell.

"Well, Buffy brought me back. And here I am!" She put her arms up in an innocent rockstarish pose.

"Uhuh, I see." Hally clicked her tongue against her cheek thinking, and then shrugged and pulled Anya down onto the couch with her.

"So how was it? Did you see – Wait, how did Buffy bring you back? Last I checked she wasn't a witch or anything more than an ordinary human, who just happened to have extraordinary strength and fighting skills." Hally shook her head in hopeless confusion.

"Well, hell was great. But um, Buffy had to do her own time in hell to bring me back." She smiled slightly at the bravery of her friend.

"A human willingly went into hell? Wow, that's impressive." Hally's eyes widened dramatically for a moment, before returning to their normal state.

"Yeah, and she was there for a while too. She took it pretty hard when she came back. I had to use my magic skills to fix her brain." Anya leaned forward and gave a 'you know what I mean' look to her friend.

Xander rolled his eyes and went back to his bedroom. He didn't need to listen to the two ladies gossip about hell and such. That wasn't really his most comfortable topic to discuss.

"Willow?" Tara said looking from the window to Willow, who was reading a volume on magical herbs.

"Yeah sweetie?" Willow didn't look up from the text.

Tara looked down and then locked her eyes with Willow's, who looked up to see the reason for the uncomfortable pause.

"You know how you can't do magic?" She asked weakly. The guilt she felt from taking away Willow's magic was killing her. She could always give it back to her without the whole 'I'm sorry' speech, but she knew that her conscience would never let her get away with it. Besides, Willow deserved to know the truth. Willow was staring at her looking troubled. "Well, I um… That's because I took it away from you." She looked at her hands which she laced together in front of her.

"You what?" Willow whispered, hurt filling her. "Tara, why would you do that?" Her eyes filled with tears.

"It was because of the location spell." Tara sat in front of Willow and pleaded her with her eyes to let her explain.

"The what?"

"When Buffy was… You wanted to do a location spell to find her. And we couldn't let that happen. So…" Tara's own tears were threatening to spill over. "Willow I'm sorry. I'll undo the spell; I just had to tell you."

Willow stared at her for a moment, undecided whether she should be pitying the fear that her lover had gone through while Buffy was in hell for her, or be angry. She decided to go with the lesser, and slid down to the floor and wrapped her arms around Tara.

"Behind you!" Spike shouted to the slayer who turned around quickly and staked an oncoming attack from a fledgling. Then he turned to take on his own.

That was the last of them for to night, he hoped. As much as he loved fighting along side Buffy, he just didn't feel like killing things at the moment. Weird.

"Hmm, slow night." Buffy thought out loud and put a finger to her lip in thought. "What kind of apocalypse do you think is coming this time?" She joked. It seemed that whenever something bad came to town, the demons dispersed and made themselves scarce.

Spike laughed half humouredly. He hoped there was none. But that whole weather thing _did _seem kind of strange. Just a few hours ago, the sun had been bright and shining, very little wind, and just warmth. Now that it was night, thunder cracked up above and lightning threatened them from the clouds. The rain was icy cold and the wind was howling.

"That's all right love," Spike leered, pulling her against him by the waist. "I'm sure I can think of something else that we could do."

A while ago, Buffy would have said something witty to him, walked away, or hit him. But since he'd come back, that had changed. She giggled and bit her lip. He bent down and kissed her lips lightly before pushing her against the mausoleum.

Lighting struck a near by tomb stone, and Spike jumped and flung Buffy into his crypt, shutting the door quickly. The lighting would burst him into flames, and only god knew what it would do to Buffy had she'd been struck.

"I like it." A voice that Spike didn't recognize breathed. He turned around to look at Buffy, but she hadn't seemed to have heard it. Perhaps it was too quiet for her. "Pathetic Fallacy." The voice said a little louder this time.

"What do you mean?" Spike asked it.

Buffy turned and looked at him with her eyebrow raised. "What do I mean about what?"

"What?" He knew then that she thought he was talking to himself. Maybe he was.

He shrugged and pulled her against him, again by the waist, and leered at her. She smiled up at him and pressed her lips to his.

"The storm reflects the chaos."

"Alright," Spike roared pulling his face away from the blonde's. "Where the bloody hell are you?" He looked around for the voice, but couldn't place it. The voice laughed horribly, and the sound seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. Spike growled.

"Spike, what is it?" Buffy looked around as well, not knowing exactly what she was looking for.

Spike clenched his jaw, and then said through his teeth, "Some little beastie wants to 'ave a go." He sneered. "Well bring it on!" He shouted to the voice.

Buffy stared at him shocked. Who was he talking to? Had her precious vampire finally lost it?

The laughing dissipated, and Spike was left standing alone still sneering. Buffy had edged carefully away from him. She remembered only too well what had happened the last time Spike had heard voices.


	16. Chapter 16

_Catching up: Giles looked up to Buffy, "We may have some kind of elemental, a demon that takes its form as the weather, or control the elements as such."__ "Had a bit of an accident love." Spike winced as a piece of charred shirt rubbed his burned chest. "No biggy." Spike clenched his jaw, and then said through his teeth, "Some little beastie wants to 'ave a go." He sneered. "Well bring it on!" He shouted to the voice. Buffy edged carefully away from him. She remembered only too well what had happened the last time Spike had heard voices. "Spike will protect me." Buffy muttered turning her face to the side. "Spike loves me."_

Bitter Betrayals.

"So he just went crazy?" Willow looked around at her friends nervously. "He just started talking to some invisible demon?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I'm not even sure it was real. I couldn't hear it." Buffy had been thinking hard about this. She'd considered chaining Spike up just in case, but he'd insisted it wasn't that kind of voice, it wasn't like the last time. This voice was only taunting him, not even talking directly at him.

"Very peculiar," Giles tapped his chin. He was sitting at the round table in the Magic Box, supporting his head with his hand. "You said he wanted to fight the demon?"

"He said the demon wanted to fight him, his _exact _words were _'some little beastie wants to 'ave a go,'" _Buffy mocked his British accent almost successfully.

"That's very strange." He took off his glasses and began cleaning them with the handkerchief in his pocket.

"So let me get this straight." Xander raised his hand, palm up to get in his say. "Spike, who used to be one of the most evil things on the planet, who had to get a chip inserted into his brain to stop him from killing everyone, who – no offence – was too strong for Buffy to stop," he directed the last at the blonde sitting next to Giles. "Who then got a soul and was possessed by a crazy first evil thing, then was our _champion _to save the world…"

"Xander where are you going with this?" Anya crossed her arms.

"Hey I have a point I promise." He backed up his rant for a second.

"Then make it." Buffy said with a false calm.

"I'm just saying – Spike wasn't always the sweet little demon we hope he is now." Xander was always weary of Spike; he'd been the same way with Angel. But Spike had proven himself, a lot. He'd fought the good fight, he'd taken care of Dawn, and he'd helped them through _many _apocalypses. Not to mention the soul and champion thing that no one wanted to reminisce about.

Buffy looked down at her lap. She'd lost Spike once already, and she wasn't about to do it again. She'd do anything to keep him with her. "I know," She whispered, not trusting her voice. For a moment, thoughts of hell drifted into her head. It was all the same, this world and that. The only real difference was that in this world they had a chance to stop the bad stuff, and she had her Spike to hold her hand through it.

Before anyone had time to react, a large ball of flames burst into the store, a scorched blanket fell to the floor, and Spike padded himself off quickly. "Something about a storm, a big storm with eyes." He breathed a sigh of relief at his unlife still being a reality.

The scoobies all stared at him. None of them so much as breathing. "Um, Spike?" Dawn giggled after a long uninterrupted silence. She pointed at his chest. "What's that?"

Spike looked down to see what it was that she was so interested in, and realized that in all the hassle getting there in one undusty piece, he had picked up a little hitch hiker. A silvery smoke was twirling around on his shirt. He brushed it off in a swift motion, and sent it flying across the room. "Little bugger," he muttered at the small spirit.

Dawn skipped up to him, and hugged him loosely about the waist and looked up to him like a small child. "Are you ok? You look a little singed." She rested her chin on his chest and he smiled at her affectionately.

"Oh, Spike," Tara practically jumped on him, and whispered something to him that none of the others heard. He looked at her for a moment before sliding away from Dawn and following her over to a large dusty volume.

The rest of them resumed talking idly about whatever the voice could be, but were interrupted again when Spike spoke loudly to Tara. "So we'll find it then." He said with enthusiasm. "Can't be that hard."

"Spike you don't understand," She shook her head. "There is only one of these things left in the _world _and we don't know where it is, who has it, or even if it still exists." She realized her words were hopeless against his unchanging determination. The enthusiasm never left his eyes.

"Guys, what are you talking about?" Buffy asked them expectedly. They glanced at each other, and if reading each other's minds they created a distraction.

"Oh god Spike, I'm so sorry!" Tara squealed when the candle she knocked over caused his shirt to burst into flames.

"Spike!" Buffy ran to the scene, heard beating fast. "Oh god," she pulled him against her once the flames were out and Spike was barely smoking where the remnants of his shirt still remained.

"Bloody hell woman!" Spike shouted angrily. "Nearly dusted me you did!" Without realizing it, he had wrapped his arms around Buffy and was gently stroking her hair. She squeezed her eyes shut and held him closer, almost ignoring his hiss when she rubbed against a sore burn.

"Spike, that's the second time you've been set on fire this week." Buffy said through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry love," he purred. "'S not my fault." He calmly caressed her cheek, comforted by her concern. He knew she was his.

She turned her head slightly to kiss his palm, but stopped when she saw a little silvery mist crawling along the floor. Much like the one that had been on Spike's now very burnt shirt only minutes ago.

"The thing…" She whispered to herself, pointing. Spike turned to look at it, and then grinned.

"See, the thing is pet, that that demon and me, we kinda get along. Sort of like partners in crime. He keeps coming back; I keep coming back, no matter how many times you kill me…" Spike laughed with horrible cruelty slipping between his fanged teeth. "The storm tonight's gonna help me bring 'im back."


	17. Chapter 17

_Catching up: "So he just went crazy?" Willow looked around at her friends nervously. "He just started talking to some invisible demon?" "I'm just saying – Spike wasn't always the sweet little demon we hope he is now." Xander said, still reluctant to trust Spike, even after all that had happened. "The thing…" Buffy whispered to herself, pointing. Spike turned to look at it, and then grinned. "See, the thing is pet, that that demon and me, we kinda get along. Sort of like partners in crime. He keeps coming back; I keep coming back, no matter how many times you kill me…" Spike laughed with horrible cruelty slipping between his fanged teeth. "The storm tonight's gonna help me bring 'im back."_

**A/N: Sorry guys, I meant to make the catch up part a bit (a lot) shorter than I did… But I felt the need to remind y'all about all that… AND Sorry I haven't posted in a while; I've got an injured arm which makes typing a frustrating chore. So, sorry it's so short (typing is not fun at the moment), but I'll add more soon!**

Part of Your World.

Everyone was staring at Spike. The storm? What storm? They all knew it, they were all thinking it; the creepy weather demon thing was going to lead them right into another apocalypse. Everyone though, was afraid to say it.

"Spike," Buffy tried to pull him back to her, he'd pushed her away almost violently when she'd pointed out the smoke on the floor. "Spike I don't understand." Her hand reached out to take his, but he slapped it away harshly. Hurt burned in her eyes and tears threatened to come forth.

"All in good time my love." He said almost as if the latter words were an old joke. His voice, the way she could practically hear the smirk and lethality his words presented, reminded her too much of the old Spike, the one who had tried to kill her along side Drusilla. "All in good time."

In a flash of black and blonde, he swept out of the Magic Box, reminding everyone of a very nasty villain. This wasn't Spike, it couldn't be. Buffy thought back once again to hell. She tried to shake off the feeling of desperate loneliness to no avail. Was this her Spike? Or was this just some pitiful demon she'd brought back with her?

"I hate to say I told ya so." Xander said dryly before adding, "Actually, you know I really don't'. I. Told. You. So."

Buffy looked down, the space in front of her where Spike had been standing was only a soft wooden floor. The place where the smoke had been was only a puddle of blood. It took a moment for the scene to sink in before Buffy brain registered what exactly she was staring at. "Blood?" She didn't sound at all shocked, scared, anything. She just sounded like she was talking to some kind of vampire she was about to slay, full of wit and a never ending supply of sarcasm.

"Blood?" Willow stared at Buffy for a moment and then followed the trail her eyes made to the red pooled on the floor. "Oh, blood."

"Something isn't right here." She looked a mixture of hurt and leadership. She knew something would have to be done, and quick. Though she'd just lost her most valued warrior.

To a by stander, Buffy would have just been stating the obvious. But to her friends, her watcher, her sister, she was coming up with a plan of action. All standing by waiting for orders, no one moved. Not until Buffy's instructions rang out through the store.

"Giles, Dawn, and Anya, I need you to research anything you can about this weather demon, I want to know about the storm, and I want to know about the smoky spirit." She normally wouldn't have asked Anya to research, but the ex vengeance demon had been around a while and Buffy was hoping she'd know something. "Willow and Xander, get every detail of the storm coming up tonight from the new channel, or whatever." They nodded and waited patiently again to hear the last of her instruction. "I'm going to pay some demons a little visit." She didn't look at them when she marched – like a general at war – out of the Magic Box.

The interior of Willie's bar was very different than she remembered. There were new chairs for a start, and also a fresh coat of tangy orange coated the walls.

Willie was standing behind the bar, ragging down the counter. "Oh hey Buffy, long time no see! Can I get you anything? Beer – chicken wings? The chicken wings have been very popular lately, I'm pretty sure you'll – " He couldn't talk any longer when she approached the counter fuming, and grabbed his collar in her fist and dragged him towards her.

"I need information." She spat.

"Uh, yeah, yeah sure." He said shaken. "Whatever you want slayer." His New Yorker voice didn't do much to hide the fear he emanated.

She knew she would get somewhere, how couldn't she? She was in Spike's world now.


	18. Chapter 18

_Catching up: "So he just went crazy?" Willow looked around at her friends nervously. "He just started talking to some invisible demon?" "I'm just saying – Spike wasn't always the sweet little demon we hope he is now." Xander said, still reluctant to trust Spike, even after all that had happened. "The thing…" Buffy whispered to herself, pointing. Spike turned to look at it, and then grinned. "See, the thing is pet, that that demon and me, we kinda get along. Sort of like partners in crime. He keeps coming back; I keep coming back, no matter how many times you kill me…" Spike laughed with horrible cruelty slipping between his fanged teeth. "The storm tonight's gonna help me bring 'im back."_

Into the Dark.

"So, all you want me to do is get the witch away from her friends?" Spike raised his eyebrows at the pool of dust floating inches above the floor.

"She will give me my body back, and then we can proceed with our plan." A voice from nowhere spoke out.

"Right, right. And who sais she's gonna do it for you?" The absurdity of all that was happening made Spike suspicious of the spirit. The plan was simple. Spike was going to lure Willow away from the scoobies, and then she was going to give him his body back. After that the spirit was going to fix Spike – take back his soul – and help him to take his place as master over the hellmouth. A day ago the thought of teaming with an evil dead was unthinkable. But now, now that they shared his mind, Spike was willing to help the spirit.

"I will make her cast the spell. I will go inside her mind and control her." Excitement stirred inside the smoke.

"So then what?" Spike leaned back against the long metal counter in the place that used to be called the initiative.

"Then I will have to feed so that I can return to power." Spike knew what that part meant. The demon needed to feed on a powerful soul. Spike was willing to give his up. Can't be the Big Bad with a soul, it just didn't seem fit.

The spirit had Spike under it's power. He didn't know what he was thinking. Really, _he _wasn't thinking at all. The spirit was doing it for him.

"Buffy, I was gonna take Dawn to the mall. Do you want to come?" Willow asked hopefully. Since Buffy'd returned to them, she hadn't been in a really mallish mood. It was tugging at all of their emotions, they didn't know what to think about her anymore. She was the same old Buffy, yet different somehow. "Buffy?"

Buffy was sitting in a chair in her living room, staring at her hands. She looked so tired, like she hadn't slept in weeks, when really she had been sleeping better than ever.

"Buffy are you alright?" Willow stepped closer to Buffy, whose eyes looked up before her head moved even an inch.

"There's something wrong." Tara said as she came in the room. She had heard Willow's anxiety for Buffy and came to investigate. "Her aura's breaking up."

Willow kneeled in front of Buffy and took her hands. "Buffy what's wrong?"

It didn't pass Tara's notice that Buffy's hard glare was empty; somehow she had on a blank face while her expression was angry. But the brief thought was passive when Tara saw the broken aura surrounding Buffy fade and dim slightly, and then burst with colour and wisps of silver, and then break, cracks of black colour flooding into it.

"Hey Will, ready to go?" Dawn bounced in with her purse strung over her shoulder. When Willow looked at her, she knew immediately that their outing had been delayed. "What's wrong with her?" She couldn't loose Buffy again, not ever. Somehow, she felt Spike was to blame for the dead look on her big sister's face. "Oh, it was Spike. Wasn't it?" She pursed her lips in understanding. Buffy just dropped her eyes back to her hands.

It was so dark where she was. Buffy could see her friends in front of her, pleading her response, begging to know what had happened to her. But she couldn't reply, and she didn't know whether it was because she physically couldn't, or whether she just didn't want to. Whatever was happening to her, she didn't mind. She liked the dark place. Spike was in her dark place, holding her hand. And there was music. Nothing she recognized, nothing she could really make out at all. But it was there, somewhere in the background. She felt content there. Not happy, but not scared anymore either.

"Guys," Tara's eyes didn't leave Buffy's calm composure for a second. "I think we need to get Spike back." She took a brief second to give the two girls beside her a horrified look. She'd seen this Buffy before. And it wasn't one that any of them could afford to be around.

Buffy's hand shot out faster than any of them could have imagined possible. Her fingers wrapped around Tara's neck and squeezed tightly. Tara gasped for breath, but even her pitiful gasps subsided while her lips turned blue.

"Tara!" Willow screamed trying to pry Buffy's fingers from her girlfriend. "Let go of her!"

Dawn's eyes grew wide and she flew to the phone. Anya could help. Anya helped Buffy last time, so she could help now right?


	19. Chapter 19

_Catching up: "I'm just saying – Spike wasn't always the sweet little demon we hope he is now." Xander said, still reluctant to trust Spike, even after all that had happened. "The thing…" Buffy whispered to herself, pointing. Spike turned to look at it, and then grinned. "See, the thing is pet, that that demon and me, we kinda get along. Sort of like partners in crime. He keeps coming back; I keep coming back, no matter how many times you kill me…" Spike laughed with horrible cruelty slipping between his fanged teeth. "The storm tonight's gonna help me bring 'im back."__ "Guys," Tara's started, "I think we need to get Spike back." Buffy's hand shot out faster than any of them could have imagined possible. Her fingers wrapped around Tara's neck and squeezed tightly. Tara gasped for breath, but even her pitiful gasps subsided while her lips turned blue._

**A/N: Sorry again for the long intro… And I'm gonna make a normal(er) length chapter now! Arms feeling a lot better. :)**

I Can Save You.

Dawn fumbled for a few minutes with the phone in her kitchen, trying with shaking hands to dial Xander and Anya's number. Thunder cracked in the clouds above Sunnydale, signaling the start of the storm. The power was out barely a second after the white flash filled the house. She cursed under her breath, and bolted out of the door before she had time to panic. She knew she was running out of time. The storm that was bringing back a demon that they hadn't learned _anything _about had begun, and Spike had turned evil, and Buffy had once again lost her mind to the devil. Dawn silently prayed that this was just a little demon, and no big apocalypse coming closer and closer.

She caught up to the couple as they were locking up the Magic Box. Giles' was with them.

"Anya," she panted. Terror was beginning to catch up with her. "Help, Buffy's," she inhaled hard, trying to catch her breath. "She's gone crazy." She put her hands on her knees and sucked in sharps gusts of breath.

"Well then what are you doing here for? You should be chaining her up!" Anya looked emotionlessly at Dawn as if she was being clueless.

"What? But I-"

"Dawn, let's go." Anya walked ahead of Dawn and began towards the Summers' house.

"Wait, what happened to Buffy?" Xander jogged to keep up with the girls that were flying down the sidewalk. It was starting to rain buckets on them.

Giles quickly answered him. "See Xander, ever since Buffy's gotten back, the Devil's been playing mind games on her. When she first got back, he took over her mind and made her attack everyone. I assume the same thing is happening again?" He directed the latter at Dawn.

"Yeah, she attacked Tara. I don't know what happened after that, I came to get you guys." They'd made it down two blocks already with their speedy hurriedness.

When finally they made it back to the house, the front door was open. The lights inside were still out. They filled in one after another and followed Dawn to where she'd left Buffy. When they were following her into darkness, they began to follow their ears, following the sound of mad screaming. They emerged into the living room, to find Willow and Tara holding each other in tears against the back wall of the room.

Looking down to the floor, they saw Spike – leather duster and all – on top of Buffy, holding her hands in one of his above her head, and the other hand wrapped firmly around her throat, straddling her and holding her down in a way that seemed almost effortless. Perhaps Spike was attacking her? But then wouldn't Willow have done some sort of magic to help her? Maybe not it she was still possessed. But never the less they couldn't be sure.

"Spike!" Giles snapped. "What on Earth?"

Buffy was still screaming unintelligible words, hysterics reaching their peek. She started coughing, and against Spike's hold the thrust of her lungs looked painful. When blood started forming at the corners of her mouth, and then dripping down her chin, Spike released his hold on her throat and kissed her where her neck met her shoulders. Her didn't release his grip on her hands though.

"Come back to me love." He pleaded to her softly.

Buffy coughed again, and this time seemed to choke on the blood that was spilling from her lips. She gagged once and then resumed her coughing fit.

"Buffy," Spike whispered to her, feathering his lips along her collar bone. "Come on now long, come back to Spike."

She gasped sharply and her eyes rolled back into her head. She made a gargled sound that seemed generally enough like English. But no one could make it out. She coughed again, less hard, and her eyes drifted downward. Spike's eyes were trained on her face, drinking in every expression. She looked completely and utterly pained. On the verge of hysterics she tried to pull her hands free of his.

Thunder cracked above yet again and everyone jumped.

"Willow the storm," Giles voice boomed across the room. "What do we know?" He tried not the think about the lethal vampire sitting a few feet from himself, who just happened to like the storm.

"Nothing really, just that there are tornado warnings, that's all." Willow and Tara sat down on the couch, still holding onto each other."

Spike slowly released the pressure on Buffy's very sore wrists, and let her sit up. "That's my girl." He said in a more audible tone. She mumbled his name and pulled her face into his shoulder, pressing her forehead to his neck. He rubbed small circles on her back, and then waited.

The scoobies were all staring at him. What happened to Mr. Evil, in alliance with a crazy weather demon guy? He seemed to be gone now. Left in it's place was the Spike they all knew and hated. This Spike, seemed to be the soulless Spike they'd all learned quickly to fear.

Buffy didn't seem to mind though. She smiled widely at his purr when she wrapped her arms around him. He didn't remember anything that had happened since the moment at the Magic Box with Tara. He remembered everything up to holding Buffy in his scorched embrace, and then after that absolutely nothing. He did somewhat recall an intense gut wrenching feeling of his soul being sucked away. But that was all.

"Spike?" Buffy asked sitting up, pulling her body away from him but not letting her arms leave his neck.

He reveled in her touch, and kept his own arms around her waist. "Yes Buffy?" He breathed, leaning in to kiss her.

She kissed back for a moment, before she asked the question everyone was dying to ask. "What happened to you?" Her eyes fixed on his, boring into him, searching for any answers as to why her love had betrayed her.

His eyebrows pulled together in the middle, and he looked down at her confused. It took him a moment to realize that she must mean his soul. "I don't really remember that much," he thought for a second. "I remember holding you, and then some incubus was sucking my soul clean out of me." He noticed then that there was a lot missing there. The whole parts in between. Then he remember that he_ liked _his soul – as much as a vampire could – he had gotten it for _her,_ and now it was gone. Possibly for good. "Well bugger that." He looked away, into the floor beside him. What _had _happened? He had no idea.

The storm was exploding over head. Light flashed into the windows, and then left them in darkness. They had no idea as to what time it was, but they knew that it shouldn't have been this dark, this dark was midnight, they could only had been in the early afternoon.

"Spike, he's coming for me." Buffy's face twisted into a hurt frown.

"No one's coming for you sweetheart." He kissed her gently again. "And if they were, I'd kill him." He nuzzled against her.

"No, I mean…" She bit her lip which had started to tremble against it's will. "_He's _coming for me, I can feel it. He had me before. It was like something was controlling me. I know it was him. But I can't stop him." She shuddered slightly and pulled herself closer to him.

"I'll protect you." Spike shut his eyes, feeling her pain. "I won't let anyone hurt you Buffy, trust me." He held her close, not wanting to ever let go of her.


	20. Chapter 20

_Catching up: "I'm just saying – Spike wasn't always the sweet little demon we hope he is now." Xander said, still reluctant to trust Spike, even after all that had happened. "The thing…" Buffy whispered to herself, pointing. Spike turned to look at it, and then grinned. "See, the thing is pet, that that demon and me, we kinda get along. Sort of like partners in crime. He keeps coming back; I keep coming back, no matter how many times you kill me…" Spike laughed with horrible cruelty slipping between his fanged teeth. "The storm tonight's gonna help me bring 'im back." "Guys," Tara's started, "I think we need to get Spike back." Buffy's hand shot out faster than any of them could have imagined possible. Her fingers wrapped around Tara's neck and squeezed tightly. Tara gasped for breath, but even her pitiful gasps subsided while her lips turned blue._

Redemption.

"_The storm is at it's peak William, it is almost time." The dust stirred into a shape that looked almost human._

"_Don't call me by my poncy human name, there's a reason I don't use that name and I'd appreciate your not callin' me by it." Spike raised a finger in warning at the spirit._

"_I know you better than all William, giving me the knowledge I to know that you don't truly hate being called by your human name." The dust swept around itself._

"_Yeah well keep dreaming." Thunder cracked and sent a brilliant grin across Spike's face. It was time._

_A sort of glitter formed around the spirit, giving it a sparkly golden colour that added to the mystic of it's grey hue. Spike was ready, ready to finally be rid of his bloody soul, the soul that had trapped him like a dog in a crate for all this time. The spirit solidified in front of him, enveloping him inside it's depths. He felt the draining of a million years of pain, and a sensation much like having blood sucked from your body. The procedure lasted only a few minutes, but by the end Spike felt better than he'd ever felt in his life. Better than life in fact. He felt the pure evil that was him seeping back into his body. But then he felt weak, and he slowly dropped to the floor, hanging his head._

"_Don't worry, this will end soon, and we will be together Spike." The voice that was once old and rusted was dark and seductive._

"_You're a she?" He widened his eyes in disbelief. Then he laughed loudly. "You're a she!"_

_The dark haired woman reminded him an awful lot of Drucilla. Her locks curled loosely and fell down to her waist, he body was slim and nothing less than a goddess' figure. Her dark eyes were hypnotising, he couldn't tell where the dark brown ended and the pupil started._

_The woman knelt before Spike, and kissed him gently on the lips. "Thank you for my body William." She fluttered her eyes at him. "You're service will not soon be forgotten." She stroked her long slender fingers along his cheek, tracing the high cheek bone. She disappeared in an instant._

"Oh god!" Spike threw himself out of the bed, sliding Buffy's arm off of him as he did so and stumbling forward and landing on the floor.

"Spike?" Buffy sat up, feeling the bed for her vampire. When her eyes adjusted, she scooted to the side of the bed and stared down at him. "Spike what's wrong?"

"You stay away from me." He backed up slowly, finding the wall for support before standing.

"I don't understand, did I do something wrong?" The concern in her eyes was sore, it gnawed at his heart like a raw burn.

"Just stay away you hear?" His voice was high in his hysterics. "Just stay away." He grabbed his shirt from the end of the bed and threw it on his back before making for the door.

"Spike!" Buffy grabbed Spike's arm and thrust him into the wall, forcing him to look at her with her hand. "What happened?" Her eyes were teary, but she kept herself from crying.

Spike looked at his love for a second, debating with himself. He drew a quick breath, released it, opened his mouth, closed it, and repeated this a few times before he could bring himself to tell her what he'd seen.

She rubbed her hand up his arm, and across his neck. The touch was supposed to be comforting, but even without his soul he felt purely guilt and disgust with himself. What would she think? What could she say to this? All of his hard work to finally get her – the result being his own death, but still – and now he would ruin it all by returning to his true identity. What Buffy'd always called 'the soulless thing'.

"I had this dream," he said hesitantly watching her face. "No, not a dream." He selected his words carefully. "A memory I s'pose. I," Another deep breath. "remember what happened to me." He looked up at her through his eyelashes, head aimed at the floor.

"Tell me," She whispered, caressing his cheek, reminding him of the demon.

He roughly shoved her hand away and looked away from her. She was hurt by the disgust on his face, not realizing it was towards himself.

"How can you look at me?" He choked the words out, tears verging. "After all I've done…" He didn't let her respond. He was afraid of what she'd say. Probably something like 'I love you Spike' or 'You're different now Spike'. "She made me… I…" He risked looking at her. Her face was confused, and that was worse than the anger he'd accepted. She was silent, waiting for him to go on. "I… Brought back the demon, and I let her take my soul." His jaw clenched on every syllable. "I gave it to her willingly, and now…" He closed his eyes, and prepared for her fists to meet his face. But the fist didn't come.

"You're soul is gone?" Buffy was staring at his face, trying to figure him out. He only nodded his head. "You know," She chuckled, surprising him. "When I brought you back, I kinda thought you wouldn't have your soul." She smiled at him, watching his confusion turn to awe.

"You're not mad…" He watched her smile as she leaned towards him, pressing her lips to his.

"Spike, a demon comes back into it's natural form, and you've lost your soul. You loved me before you had it and I slayed before the demon came. So I have nothing to worry about do I?" She kissed him again. Her eyes fluttered tiredly, and he laughed in relief.

"Come on then love," he kissed her forehead. "Let's get you back to bed." He picked her up and carried her back to bed, and wrapped his arms around her. He smiled brightly again when she put her arm over him and leaned her head against his chest.

"I love you Spike, don't forget it." She snuggled against him contentedly.

"I love you." He purred.

While Buffy drifted back to sleep, she realized that things wouldn't be the same as they were before. She might have to be careful with Spike. He was soulless now, who was to say he wouldn't go back to harming humans, not to mention her own friends? Could she trust them with this information? Tara and Anya and Dawn wouldn't be a problem. But the rest could pose as a threat to not only him but their relationship.

Spike knew he would have to be on his best behaviour, white hat forever. He would do it for her. Despite the nagging demon inside of him, begging to be released. He wouldn't hurt her, not for the world. He must already have a lot to redeem, bringing back a demon would probably prove hard on their relationship.


	21. Chapter 21

_Catching up: "I'm just saying – Spike wasn't always the sweet little demon we hope he is now." Xander said, still reluctant to trust Spike, even after all that had happened. "The thing…" Buffy whispered to herself, pointing. Spike turned to look at it, and then grinned. "See, the thing is pet, that that demon and me, we kinda get along. Sort of like partners in crime. He keeps coming back; I keep coming back, no matter how many times you kill me…" Spike laughed with horrible cruelty slipping between his fanged teeth. "The storm tonight's gonna help me bring 'im back." "Guys," Tara's started, "I think we need to get Spike back." Buffy's hand shot out faster than any of them could have imagined possible. Her fingers wrapped around Tara's neck and squeezed tightly. Tara gasped for breath, but even her pitiful gasps subsided while her lips turned blue._

Redemption (part 2).

"Hello William," The demon whispered through the night, sitting on the sill of Buffy's bedroom window.

Spike snarled at her, "You'd better get out of 'ere, 'fore I rip your bloody head off." He leaned towards the demon, every muscle in his body wanting to kill her, but the little voice in the back of his head warning him not to wake Buffy.

"I just wanted to say thank you." She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Game face on, he could see her clearly despite the moonless dark. Her skin was a shade of red that reminded him of the devil he'd rescued Buffy's soul from. Perhaps she was just one of his little tricks. "Oh please," Spike laughed. "Now tell me what it is you want 'fore I rip your soddin' head off!" The voice in his head shushed him.

"I just need one teensy favor William." She pinched the air with her thumb and index finger.

He laughed again humorlessly. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

She smiled and brushed her hand along his chest, standing over him like an eagle staring at it's mouse prey. She bent down, and kissed him, and then sucked the air from his lungs. He tried to gasp, to shove her away, but she held him down. The voice in his head was screaming at him, the shrill loudness of it made his head feel as if it were about to explode. His vision clouded, and everything went black.

Spike awoke to cool fingers stroking his hair. He purred in pleasure and looked up with yellow eyes to face the irresistible blonde beside him. She smiled down at him, curious about whatever he'd dreamt. She wondered if he realized he had his game face on.

"Good morning," She kissed him faintly, and pulled back. He was watching her like a hawk. "What's up lover?" She asked warmly as she feathered her fingers along the bumpies on his forehead.

He reached his jaw up and nipped at her wrist, then purred again and pulled her against him. He nuzzled behind her ear, smirking when she giggled.

"I have to get Dawn ready for school." She laughed flicking her hair behind her shoulder. Instead of getting up though, she bent her head and kissed him again. She was surprised when instead of kissing back he nipped her lip. He drew no blood, but never the less; Spike was usually all for the kissing. "Are you ok?" She asked him, slightly concerned. She never thought to question whether his losing his soul could have any after effects.

He only smiled up at her.

"Spike talk to me." She almost pleaded, confusion was overwhelming her. Then she noticed the window was open, blowing the curtains inward. She moved to close the window, and found that the lock had been broken off. She'd locked it before bed, so it must have happened afterward. "Spike did you open the window last night?"

He shook his head and pulled her back to him by the waist, snaking his arms around her. He leaned his chin on her chest and stared up at her with eyes that were still a demonic yellow. She stared back at him, curious at his strange behavior, and ran her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes.

"Prithee Buffy, stay away from him." It was Spike's voice, but his mouth never opened.

Eyes wide, Buffy turned around to stare into the face of a very transparent William Pratt. Brown hair curled atop his head, blue eyes looking alarmingly nervous in comparison to Spike's very yellow wild yet calm ones.

"What's going on?" She looked between Spike and the ghost of William. "Who are you?" Spike seemed completely at ease with the imposter standing only a few feet from him.

"Buffy please, he is very dangerous. I couldn't bare him hurting you, not for a second." He raised his hand to her, but made no move to close any different between himself and Spike.

"Who are you?" She exploded in anger towards the ghost who shied away from her wincing.

"Please, Buffy I am William, I am him." He waved his hand towards Spike, and frowned. "I beg of you to understand. I am his human. The succubus pulled me out of him. She wants to be rid of you. Her plan was that the demon that was inside of me would kill you." He looked nervously at Spike again.

But Spike seemed the complete opposite of 'kill Buffy'. He was marveling at her, smiling affectionately with worshiping eyes. Buffy stroked his hair again and felt his purr vibrate in his chest.

"Oh," She whispered. This was why Spike was acting so strange. The game face that was forward was Spike, the calm reserved face of William that she usually saw was the ghost of a man behind her. A few seconds passed while the news sunk into Buffy, and then she screamed, "Willow!"

Everyone that was in the house burst into the room. Spike locked his jaw and turned his face from her, holding her tightly. She couldn't have moved away from him if she wanted to. William was backed up in the corner, hands over his heart. Willow and Tara both gasped when they saw the ghost, and then Spike's demon. Dawn didn't seem surprised, she assumed the demon had taken form in Buffy's room, and she waited anxiously for someone to destroy it.

"Someone call Giles." She said leaning against Spike. "We have a problem." Her eyes turned red with tears, as anger and fear flooded her.

"What's going on?" Dawn stared alarmed at the ghost. Could this demon be more for her big sister to handle? Surely he didn't look like much. But then again neither did Glorificus.

"The demon we're facing is a succubus. She got in here last night." She began to explain. "She took away Spike's soul," a deep breath, "and then separated his human and his demon." She gestured to each half of the vampire in turn.

"Buffy stay away from him," William pleaded again. Tara fled the room for a phone. They needed the gang together. "His job is to kill you and he won't rest until he's succeeded. I know myself Buffy, and that demon is part of me and he is powerful."

Spike snarled heavily at the ghost of himself. Here he was, still redeeming himself to her, proving that he could be good without a soul, and this used-to-be human was making him look all big bad all over again. He wasn't like Angel. Angel's human had been devotedly in love with her sure, but his demon had wanted nothing more than to watch her die slowly and painfully at his hand. Spike on the other hand, had loved her before his soul, and nothing had changed after he'd gotten it back and lost it again. His demon and his human loved this woman equally and that was how it was going to stay.

Spike whined pitifully and looked sadly at Buffy. She took on of his hands and squeezed it gently. He whined again and stood up. He paced madly back and forth, and turned and grabbed her.

"No!" William shouted, watching the beast try to harm his lovely lady.

Spike didn't hurt her though, he just held her. How could he make her see how sorry he was, if he could no longer speak her language? Demons like him didn't kiss, they didn't speak human language, he hardly knew how to hold her. His amazing yellow eyes bore into her with an intensity that filled the room. He would make this better, he would right all of these wrongs caused by the succubus. He would be the Spike she wanted, even if that meant finding away to reunite William with the demon.


	22. Chapter 22

_Catching up: "The demon we're facing is a succubus. She got in here last night." She began to explain. "She took away Spike's soul," a deep breath, "and then separated his human and his demon." She gestured to each half of the vampire in turn. "Buffy stay away from him," William pleaded again. Tara fled the room for a phone. They needed the gang together. "His job is to kill you and he won't rest until he's succeeded. I know myself Buffy, and that demon is part of me and he is powerful."_

Like a Pet.

William groaned and sunk through the floor. If the demon was going to kill Buffy, then he wasn't going to stand there and watch. There was absolutely nothing he could do to save her in his unbodily position.

Buffy was beginning to believe that Spike had never really wanted to hurt her. (Since he got the chip anyway) He was staring down at her adoringly, very pleased that she hadn't released her grip on him once he stood up. He arms were wrapped securely around his waist and her head leaned sweetly on his chest. He stroked her hair affectionately and made a strange clicking sound. A strange humming sound began at the back of his throat, much like the hum of an old computer.

"Dawn what was that spell to let people talk?" Buffy squeezed him tighter.

"Oh, we could do a spell, sure Buffy. But we'll have to get the ingredients…" Dawn didn't know what to make of the demon before her. Spike hadn't paid her much attention since he'd gotten back and that hurt. But never the less it was understandable. Buffy needed him more right now. But something about him didn't seem right. It wasn't that he had no humanity in him, no the kind pleasured smile on his face cured that. There was something in his eyes, something that Dawn was sure that only she could see. Spike looked hungry, no _ravenous_, and kept glancing towards the group of people in the room. Only he didn't seem to be making a move to hurt them, it still made Dawn nervous. Perhaps it was because the slayer was here? Either way, Dawn knew she wasn't going to be alone for a second until they fixed him.

"Hurry please." Buffy pleaded, biting her lip.

Spike felt the slayer's stress and it bothered him immeasurably much. But how to calm her? How to show her he was alright? He picked her up in his arms and cradled her against his chest, rocking her slightly, and nuzzling her. The way he kept nuzzling her reminded Buffy of a puppy. One that never seemed to lose affection for you no matter what. She knew then that she'd have Spike forever, that he loved her unconditionally. She knew he loved her before, but she'd never really guessed the extent to it. But hey, she'd gone to hell for him. So they were fairly even right?

Spike sat down on the bed, dropping the girl to his lap, watching the rest of the group file out. When they were gone, Buffy took his face in her hands, and kissed him lightly. He was going to mock the gesture, but thought it best if he didn't try. Most likely he would just end up biting her.

"You're hungry." She stated to him, watching a very Spike grin flicker across his face. She smiled at that, and then shifted her position on him. "Take some blood from me, it'll have to do until Willow gets back." He stared at her with a mixture of shock and terror. "Just do it Spike, pigs blood so suffice for demon Spike." She leaned her head on his shoulder, waiting for his teeth to sink into her flesh. But he refused. "Spike," She moaned.

He knew he was making her feel worse, but he couldn't take her blood. Not like this. He nipped lightly at her neck. The hunger was gnawing at him from everywhere. His throat burned with blood lust, and his head spun with only the scent from hers.

"Spike _please_," she begged. He groaned defeated by her welling emotion. He slung his head back and shut his eyes. Shaking his head he growled lightly. Buffy snaked her fingers through his hair, and encouraged him towards her neck. Sighing at her stubborn ways, he bit into her neck as gently as he could.

He felt her start to get weak before she felt it herself, and pulled away rapidly. He looked into her face and tried to read the solemn expression she wore to no prevail. She was just looking at him. He leaned his forehead against hers and held her body close to his.

"Oh gracious no!" William's recognizable voice gasped from the door. Of course, he could only see Buffy holding limply onto Spike, face buried in his shoulder, and bite marks in her neck. Spike of course had blood covering his fangs and lower lip.

"Buffy?" Anya came into the room, apparently she and Xander had finally made it. "Oh god," she said seeing Spike's separate forms. "Well this is interesting." She mused. "The last time I saw this it was self induced by a vampire who wanted to be human. Of course he also just became a ghost and his demon ran of on a killing rampage." She trailed off in thought.

"But we can fix this right?" Buffy asked with overwhelming concern.

Anya didn't answer.

"Buffy I have some news," Giles came in the room behind the ex vengeance demon and walked over to where Buffy was still sitting on Spike. He noticed the small holes in her neck, but thought best as to not ask. "That demon that Spike rose had been having a little bit of fun."

"What kind of fun?" Buffy asked looking up at him, and moving her seat to the edge of the bed away from Spike.

"Countless murders, minions, possible apocalypse, the usual." He took off his glasses and cleaned them.

"Oh, that kind." Well good, she hadn't really even had a good patrol since the last apocalypse.


	23. Chapter 23

_Catching up: "Buffy I have some news," Giles came in the room. "That demon that Spike rose had been having a little bit of fun.""What kind of fun?" Buffy asked looking up at him."Countless murders, minions, possible apocalypse, the usual." He took off his glasses and cleaned them. _

Tell the Devil I say Hey.

"Slayer," a voice whispered from behind Faith.

She turned around smiling, she'd missed the fight. There hadn't been a good one since the First. Face to face now with a demon that looked very much like a vampire, Faith kicked her hard into a wall.

"I need you slayer." The demon said dryly. "I need your help."

"Oh yeah?" Faith said kicking her shoulder. "And why do you need _my _help? Don't you have a bunch of annoying little minions running around?"

The demon launched itself at her, wrapping her arms around her neck, and legs around her waist, and then sucks the air painfully from Faith's lungs. She tried to escape the attack, but the no oxygen problem made her incapable of almost anything. Her eyes were wide and livid, trying to rock the demon away. It didn't work.

When Faith was barely able to move, the demon laid her down on the hard concrete floor of the deserted road. "Pass a message to the other for me?" She smiled, petting the slayer's hair.

"Who?" Faith gasped a breath.

"Buffy, the other slayer." She cocked her head to the side, eyes twinkling madly. "Tell her… Tell her to tell the devil I say hey." Lips curling into a cruel smile, she left Faith there, possibly to die, maybe to escape back to Sunnydale. Either way the message would be passed.

It was Angel to found her, hours later, nearly a full day of lying on the hard ground, struggling to breath even still. She'd been there since the Succubus left her the last night, and then throughout the day in the pouring miserable rain, and now it was dark enough for the vampires to walk about.

"Faith?" He said worriedly, sitting her up and leaning her against him. "What happened, Faith?"

Her head lolled back against his shoulder, and she tried to speak but couldn't force the air out between her lips. She sucked in a few painful breaths while Angel held her, waiting, and then tried again. "Buffy," she gasped. "Take me to Bu-" She exploded into a fit of coughs, blood soaking her tongue.

Angel lifted her into his arms, and ran, ran like hell for the car he'd only just gotten, thanking any god who was listening for the luck of it. He laid her on the back seat, not bothering to strap her in. She would be alright there for a while. Then he jumped in the front and the engine roared to life as the car began speeding down the highway towards Sunnydale.

He didn't begin to worry about the other's reaction to his appearance until they were nearly there. Faith was nearing unconsciousness in the back, he'd get her to a doctor soon. It was a little after one in the morning by the time he'd pulled up in front of the Summers' house. He carried Faith up to the door, kicking it instead of knocking – he had no usable hands. Dawn opened the door, stunned to see Angel, and even more so to see a half dead slayer in his arms. Her first instinct told her that it was Angelus she was staring into the eyes of, but the sheer terror in his eyes told her otherwise.

"Angel? Come in!" She pulled them inside and motioned them into the living room.

Angel rested Faith on the couch, supporting her head against the arm rest. "Buffy," Faith pleaded.

"She was attacked, I found her not long ago on a road. She keeps asking for Buffy." He explained briefly. He didn't know the details.

"Buffy!" Dawn called towards the upstairs.

After a couple of distant _Spike stay here_'s and _William don't let him leave_'s, Buffy appeared at the top of the stairs with Spike hot on her heels, and a ghost following them miserably. Buffy looked aggravated beyond belief, but didn't say another word to either of the males behind her.

"Oh god, Faith!" She dropped to the floor beside Faith's head, and Faith looked weakly at her.

"Succubus," She explained faintly. Spike growled behind her. "A message for you." She panted for breath for a few seconds. Buffy took her hand and stroked the back of it with her thumb, and brushed Faith's hair from her face in a sisterly concern. "She said _tell the devil I say hey." _She looked into Buffy's eyes for a moment, her own filled with the fright of a thousand revisited memories, and then rolled back into her head and Faith was gone – for now.

Buffy pursed her lips for a second, still holding onto Faith. "Giles?" She called to her watcher, who appeared in a matter of seconds. "Succubus attack, magic healing or a hospital?" She kept her eyes trained on the girl in front of her. Watching her lips turn a murky shade of blue. She was still breathing though – barely.

"I'll get right on it." Giles muttered and disappeared out the door.

"Hello Buffy," Angel said quietly, and then with more venom, "Spike." Spike answered him with a snarl.

"Leave Angel." William's ghost said furiously. All fear of Angelus gone for the moment.

It was the first time Angel noticed the ghost, and he gaped wide eyed between them. William – Spike, Spike – William.

"He'll stay William." Buffy said in her _I'm in charge _tone. William glared at her, but decided he could do nothing without a body and let the matter drop.

Spike on the other hand wanted Angel out. He let out a snarl and stepped towards the vampire. Buffy wondered for a second how it would play out, a vampire versus a vampire's demon. But she decided she'd better not find out. Leaping to her feet and silently apologizing to Faith for leaving her, she slammed Spike into a wall and glared up to him coldly. He still snarled at Angel, and when she shoved his shoulders back he snarled at her.

"Buffy," Angel put his hand out to her. "Get away from him." He was afraid of what Spike might do to her. An untamed demon, clearly without a soul, chip, or conscience, could easily snap her neck if she refused to fight back as he assumed she would.

She ignored Angel, keeping her eyes locked on the yellow ones in front of her. After a few seconds he whined pitifully and glanced between Angel and Buffy. Understanding, she squeezed his hand gently and pulled him over to Faith with her. She sat down at Faith's head and took her hand again, and then leaned back against Spike. He leaned his forehead against her hair and sighed. He couldn't imagine what she'd be feeling then.

When Buffy finally realized what the message the Faith had passed on had said, all of the blood drained from her face and her hand that held Faith's dropped limply to the floor. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell opened slightly, a tragic sound escaping her lips.

William came over to her, brushing his cool hand across her face. She almost didn't feel it.

The words were swirling around in her head. _Tell the devil I say hey. _Over and over and over. She felt herself sliding away, retreating into the safest corner of her mind. Spike felt the change, her temperature dropping, her mind slipping from grasps. He whimpered in her ear and pulled her against him. William remained crouched in front of her, and kissed her forehead. The scene might have been funny, it sure looked ridiculous enough.

William decided he needed to help her, he couldn't do it since he had no body, and Spike couldn't do it because he had no humanity, no words, nothing to make her feel. He had to try, to get back inside his body. But how? He went around Spike, behind him, and then moved inside of him. Spike roared as an electric current ran through him. He through his head back and cried out to the ceiling. Buffy remained motionless in front of him. He continued to snarl about until his eyes turned back to their normal shade of blue, and his fangs retreated and his face became slowly more human. Exhausted from pain he slumped against her, panting. It worked? That was all? He only had to go back inside his body? Internally slapping himself from his stupidity, he leaned back against the couch and turned Buffy to face him, pulling her onto him.

"I'll let nothing happen to you love." He whispered to her, eyes determined. "Ever." He leaned up and kissed her forehead, the same way William had a moment ago.

"Hey," She said shortly, staring at the devil.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: This chapter might be a little confusing, so I'm just going to clear a quick thing up. When Buffy's talking, she's talking to the devil – which she sees in Spike's place. But Spike is answering her because she appears to be talking to him. Kind of like in the episode where she has visions of being in the psych hospital.**

_Catching up: When Faith was barely able to move, the demon laid her down on the hard concrete floor of the deserted road. "Pass a message to the other for me?" She smiled, petting the slayer's hair. "Who?" Faith gasped a breath. "Buffy, the other slayer." She cocked her head to the side, eyes twinkling madly. "Tell her… Tell her to tell the devil I say hey." Lips curling into a cruel smile "Faith?" He Angel said worriedly, sitting her up and leaning her against him. "What happened, Faith?"_

Reunited.

"Hello Buffy," Spike answered her, confused by her suddenly vigilant posture.

"I'm here," She stated with a touch of her usual hostility. "What do you want?" Each word clicked in her mouth angrily. Sarcasm floated around her brain, so many things to say…

"What do you mean, love?" Spike asked worriedly, how weird was the slayer acting?

"Oh please," she shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't give me that. I'm obviously here for a reason."

Spike's brow pulled together. She'd lost it; the slayer'd finally lost it.

The devil chortled. "Come now slayer, don't act so surprised." He gave her a glimmering smile, flashing his pearly white fangs. Each tooth, pointed into a small peek inside his mouth. "You must have known it was bound to happen eventually."

"Buffy?" Spike shook her, growing more and more nervous when she didn't respond to the movement. "God, Buffy?" He thought for a second about slapping her.

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "Let's just get this over with. What – do you want my soul? Is that it?" She placed her hands on her hips and paced to the left. "Or is it something else?"

"No," Spike felt himself go numb. "No, Buffy no." He couldn't help her this time.

The devil pointed his trident at her, and sent a shower of sparks towards her. She gritted her teeth against the burning pain that scorched her, not willing to give into him. But that was what she'd always wanted wasn't it? To feel the fire? _'Be careful what you wish for.' _The old saying flashed through her mind quickly.

Buffy stood up quickly in the living room. "What's wrong with her?" Angel demanded, backing away.

She picked up the lamp from the side table, and whipped it harshly at Spike, sending him whimpering to the floor. "Spike!" Dawn ran to him, protecting his form from her sister while he held the bleeding wound on his head.

"Stupid minions." She breathed, picking up a picture frame and pitching it fast at Dawn. Spike grabbed it from the air only inches before it hit the girl.

"Buffy," he pushed Dawn away and strode over to the slayer. She threw a hard punch at him, but he grabbed her fist and pushed her back into the wall. "Buffy," he pinned her arms above her head and slammed her by the chest into the dry wall. She kicked him in the knee, just hard enough to fracture the bone painfully. He roared and drew forth his game face and hit her back. "Stop it now slayer." He warned, though he knew she couldn't hear him.

So he'd gotten her. The devil had finally gotten her. He hovered over her, had her pressed against the hard stone wall of a cave in hell, with her arms pinned above her head and a bruise swelling her right eye shut. She spat in his face and withdrew her attention from him. She turned her head to the side and silently prayed for Spike to come for her, just like he had the last time.

"So slayer you thought I'd be done with you?" He snarled. "You thought after all he'd done to me that I'd just let him get off with it?"

Buffy had no idea what he was talking about. She didn't know how to get out of hell, but she couldn't give up. Not now. Not after everything she'd gone through. She slammed herself hard against his body, sending him tumbling backwards. He hadn't let go of her though, so with him she fell. He flipped her over onto the ground and stared at her anger filled eyes.

She tried again to kick him when she felt his lips suddenly crash into hers, furiously kissing her. She heard the snap when he foot connected with his shin and he roared in agony.

Buffy jumped up and ran to the wall where Spike had found her before, and duck into the little crevice. Looking up to the ceiling she let out a cry. "Spike," she moaned.

Spike was next to her again, had she come to? No, she still couldn't see him. When he took her hand to pull her out from beneath the table she shouted and ripped her hand out of his. Crawling out of his reach. Angrily he moved to the other side of the table, grabbing her roughly by the waist and carrying her kicking form down to the basement, with quite a struggle. His one leg wouldn't support him, and the other was being kicked to death by the very strong and scared slayer. He chained her against the wall and then took her face in his hands.

"Come on love, come back to me." He wound his fingers in her hair and when she cried out, he kissed her again, less savagely then the last time, but with just as much meaning.

How had the devil fit into such a small cave? The thing was huge, he had gigantic horns reaching up off his head that was twice the size of hers, and his body was nearing the size of a horse. Spike had barely fit in the last time. How could this monster?

**A/N: I hope you're all still interested in my story. Sorry I'm not posting as much lately, I've been studying like hell for exams. You know the drill. Well I'll be posting regularly again soon! I promise. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Will post again asap!**


	25. Chapter 25

_Catching up: When Faith was barely able to move, the demon laid her down on the hard concrete floor of the deserted road. "Pass a message to the other for me?" She smiled, petting the slayer's hair. "Who?" Faith gasped a breath. "Buffy, the other slayer." She cocked her head to the side, eyes twinkling madly. "Tell her… Tell her to tell the devil I say hey." Lips curling into a cruel smile "Faith?" He Angel said worriedly, sitting her up and leaning her against him. "What happened, Faith?"_

**A/N: This chapter may be just as confusing as the last – if not more so. But it'll get better soon. I promise.**

Truth Be Told.

"Oh god," Buffy covered her mouth with her hand when the devil had finally released her from his hold. "Oh god," The devil was Spike. How could that be? She had seen them both in the same room at the same time. And yet, this devil was Spike! His lips felt the same upon hers. His touch gave her the same flaming burst of passion and love that Spike had always given her. No… This was wrong. Something was wrong.

"Come on now love," Spike's voice came from the devils mouth. Were the two realities merging together? Or had she lost her mind?

"Get away from me." She slapped Spike's hands away roughly, and he looked at her, hurt twisting his features. The scoobies had formed a tight semi circle around the two, holding hands and whispering. "Don't touch me." She looked at him with that disgust that he'd come to hate, that look that had always made him hate himself, for being himself, when he couldn't be enough for her. There it was again. Had this whole thing been a lie? Was _he _the one in hell? Brought back to her to be tortured some more? No, those days of pure pleasure of being in her arms, that had been real. So real.

"Buffy," he grabbed her shoulders roughly. "Listen to me." He demanded, not knowing if she could hear him.

"Spike!" She screamed again, throwing her head back. He knew his slayer needed him. He just couldn't find away to save her. He groaned and leaned his head against her shoulder, pulling it back quickly when she didn't try to pull away.

"I've got a little friend who wants to meet you slayer. And my friend isn't very happy with you." The devil sneered at her, finally enjoying himself. He dragged her out into the main chamber and threw her on the ground.

"There she is," a seductive female voice sounded. "This girl doesn't deserve this." She mused, drawing lines on Buffy with the tip of her knife. The succubus took Buffy's chin unsympathetically in her hand and snapped her head up to look at her. "The way she hurt my morsel," she tsked. "She deserved much more." With the knife still in her hand, she rose her palm and struck out against Buffy's cheek. The blonde screamed in agony and felt the blood rushing to the newly bruised flesh and trickling down her cheek. "She's only getting in my way."

The devil laughed and grabbing Buffy by the back of her shirt, threw her again. She hit the wall painfully and gagged from how the shirt had strangled her. "So what to do with her?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

Spike snarled and looked at Willow. "Again, the spell, do it again." He looked back at his love and wiped the tears compulsively away from her eyes. He waited as Willow began to mutter her incantation and then everything turned red around him. Electric shocks ran through his body terrifying him. He wanted to rip his hands away from Buffy, for fear that he would harm her (either from the electricity flowing through him, or his spasming muscled on her shoulders) but was afraid he would lose her. He through his head back, teeth smashing together as he screamed out in agony.

Finally he was holding Buffy, visible to her, in hell. She grabbed his hands and sobbed hard, pulling herself close to him, crushing their bodies together in her terror.

"Oh dear, oh dear oh dear oh dear." She succubus shook her head in dismay. "What's this?" She looked Spike over, noticing immediately the human face he wore. "You didn't like my little magic?" She mocked a pout. "Well William, we'll see about that. I need you." She smiled then, and pulled him away forcefully from Buffy, crushing her lips to his and sucking again to find his humanity. "There," she said satisfied. "Good luck finding poor William now demon." She eyed him evilly.

"You!" Buffy screamed getting to her feet. "You're the succubus who hurt Faith!"

"We catch on quickly." The succubus laughed.

"Buffy!" William shouted from behind the succubus. She cursed silently to the ceiling of the cave, how hadn't she gotten rid of him already? "You have got to destroy her Buffy! She will start an apocalypse!" William floated forward and stood behind the girl. "She must have the demon, if she doesn't have him then she cannot go through with her plan." He said the words as he realized them. Why else would she want his demon and human separated?

"Got it," Buffy said kicking her hard in the face. "William, I'm gonna need a little more than that." Spike was on top of the succubus before she could recover. Clawing and punching and biting her.

"I don't know how to kill her!" He groaned.

Before they could do anything though, they were back in the living room. Mostly. The cuts that Buffy had received were like old scars, barely there. Spike seemed to be himself, both the demon and human residing in the body. Only half there though. He was lying on the floor, eyes shut, motionless except for the constant twitch in his hand.

"Spike," Buffy dropped beside him and he groaned and moved his hand slightly toward her before the effort became too tiring.

Giles knelt beside him. "Let's get him upstairs." He helped Buffy carry the vampire awkwardly up to her room where she lay him on the bed. "What happened to him?" He asked, running a finger over the swollen purple veins sticking out around Spike's mouth and down his neck. "What are these?"

"The succubus was there." Buffy whimpered. "She separated their entities again." With a shaking hand, she stroked Spike's hair, and he leaned slightly into her touch. "Help Faith. I'll stay with him."

Giles put his hand on her knee, squeezed gently once, and then left the room to obey his slayer.

She grabbed the tweezers out of the drawer in her bedside table, and used them to savagely slit her wrist. Wincing at the pain it brought on, she pressed the bleeding flesh to Spike's lips and let the blood flow into his mouth. He didn't respond in the slightest.

Hoping that her slayer blood would give him strength, she waited until her head began to spin to stop the bleeding. Wrapping an old shirt around it, she went back to stroking his hair. Though this time, there was no pressing into her hand. He just lay still.

"I love you," She whispered, a tear leaking down her face. "Don't leave me."


	26. Chapter 26

_Catching up: "You have got to destroy her Buffy! She must have the demon; if she doesn't have him then she cannot go through with her plan." William shouted. Wincing at the pain from her cut wrists, she pressed the bleeding flesh to Spike's lips and let the blood flow into his mouth. He didn't respond in the slightest. Hoping that her slayer blood would give him strength, she waited until her head began to spin to stop the bleeding. Wrapping an old shirt around it, she went back to stroking his hair. Though this time, there was no pressing into her hand. He just lay still. "I love you," She whispered, a tear leaking down her face. "Don't leave me."_

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry about the non-posting that I've been doing. I promise that as soon as I'm finished with exams I'll be right back to my near daily chapters! Hoping you're all still liking my fanfiction!**

Vanish.

The night went by with a lot of people checking in, seeing how Spike was doing, seeing how Buffy was doing, asking if anything was needed – if they could do anything. Spike's eyes had eventually drifted closed, and the only thing that kept Buffy from losing her mind was the little voice at the back of her mind saying "vampires dust when they die". She didn't sleep at all, and she wasn't really sure if Spike had either. Whether he was asleep, or awake, or in a coma – could a vampire go into a coma? – was unclear to her. Unclear to anyone really. Though Angel reassured her time and time again that Spike was very alive, she still had her doubts. As long as her bed remained non-dusty, she would be alright. Spike would live. Of course he would.

The fading cuts in her skin felt like they were burning from some sort of stinging venom. She noticed they had turned a similar purple to that of Spike's veins. This worried her friends immeasurably, but she insisted that they tend to Spike before her.

Downstairs, Giles and Willow were feverishly searching through heavy leather bound volumes, trying to find anything in the watcher journals and old texts about such succubus. They thought perhaps, if Dawn hadn't been hovering over Buffy and Spike on the upper floor, that she'd have been great help to them. Tara and Xander had taken Faith into a hospital to get checked out, so they wouldn't be much help. Faith's eyes were still dilated to breaking point and all signs of a serious concussion strained the group's nerves further. Anya though, had disappeared into a portal to ask around to her old demon friends if they'd heard of the succubus. Though they didn't have a name for her, they weren't she how much help she would be either.

"Giles look at this," Willow pointed to a paragraph excitedly. She thought maybe that they had their first lead. "It sais here that there was a clan of succubi about six hundred years ago that wreaked havoc in a small town in Scotland. Apparently they fed off of only the most human part of souls." She looked at the page for a moment thinking. "Oh! So that's what she was doing! She's feeding off of Spikes soul! Well now that can't be good." She muttered the latter.

"So then," Giles was looking over Willow's shoulder to contemplate the old drawing of the clan. "That means that she doesn't need Spike's demon." He looked up and took off his glasses. "Good god, that could mean she already has what she wants."

"Uh oh?" Willow bit her lip nervously and went to the phone. "I'll call the others back. Don't worry Giles, we can stop this thing. I just need a few things from the shop."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." His voice was tight, morose as if this were truly the end. "If she has what she was looking for, we could very well be too late." He returned his glasses to their rightful place, and made his way to the stairs to update Buffy.

"But, we don't know what she wants, I mean, maybe she just needed a little snack and she'll go back to her little clan and party in a bar in another dimension." Willow said with false hopefulness.

"Yes perhaps," He replied quietly and slowly ascended the stairs. "Buffy?" Giles knocked on her bedroom door, which was all the way open.

"Hey Giles," she pulled herself into a sitting position, and waited for him to come over to her. "What's up?"

After taking a seat beside her, he began his nervous tale. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Everything was dark, so dark. Spike couldn't see anything. Perhaps it was because his eyes were closed? He tried to open them. No, still so dark. He tried to feel around him, but couldn't move his fingers more than an inch. She thing beneath him felt cold, or maybe it was he that was cold? He couldn't tell. He heard his heart pulsing in his ears. But he hadn't a heart. So how could he..

"What is he doing?" Giles took a break from his description to nod over at Spike.

"He keeps doing that." She sighed. "I don't know why." She took his hand in hers and stroked his icy fingers. His fingers didn't stop their search though; they kept stretching and retreating, tapping against the back of her hand and beginning again. "Can't Willow bring his humanity back? I mean, if it's gone."

"I'm afraid not Buffy, if she has that of his humanity that she needed, she's probably already made use of it. And if that's the case…" He made a "well" sort of motion with his mouth and eye brows, cocking his head slightly to the side.

"Oh, well, he'll be okay then right? He didn't have much humanity before, he can do it now." She said hopefully.

"Buffy, if he's lost what humanity he regained when he got the chip, I don't think he'll be the Spike we all love." He had to force that last bit out of his mouth, but Buffy appreciated the small favor anyways. After all, he deserved it. He'd given his life for them all.

"I'm not going to give up on him Giles," she shook her head. "I can't."

**A/N: Ok so, apocalypse may be nearing? Hmm, we'll find out! Again, hope you're still enjoying this, keep reading yeah? And I'll keep posting!**


	27. Chapter 27

_Catching up: "So then," Giles was looking over Willow's shoulder to contemplate the old drawing of the clan. "That means that she doesn't need Spike's demon." He looked up and took off his glasses. "Good god, that could mean she already has what she wants."_

Bring me to Life.

"We do not know what she wants, but we do know some of what she _needs_, and if we know what she needs then we can keep those things away from her until we find out what she has planned." Giles was saying to Willow when Buffy entered the living room. The two were sitting on the couch, leaning onto the coffee table debating heatedly with each other.

"So aside from Spike," the blonde slayer broke them out of their dispute. "What else does this mega bitch want?"

"Well," Giles said with a slight stutter. "We're not quite sure."

"Well find out." She crossed her arms and prepared her leadership role to hand out instructions. "I want you and Willow and Dawn learning everything you can about the succubus and whatever it is she's doing and how and when and why. Me and Angel will go out patrolling tonight and see if we can find anything. If Faith is feeling up to it she'll tag along as well." Faith had returned from the hospital a few hours prior and was currently getting some rest in Dawn's bed. "I'm going to have Tara and Anya and Xander go down to Willy's, see if he knows anything." She shrugged out of the room and headed for the stairs.

"Buffy wait-" Willow reached her hand around the corner, catching Buffy by the arm and pulling her around to face her. "I think I can restore Spike's humanity. If she hasn't made use of it yet." She watched guarded hope fill her friend's eyes. "But it's risky. I mean, it could really mess him up if it doesn't work."

"I want to try." Buffy said quickly, ignoring the warning. More messed up than he was now? Yeah right.

"Ok, then I'll get the stuff I need…" Willow's eyes drifted above Buffy's head as she pondered the different things she'd need to cast her spell.

_So dark, _Spike thought jadedly. _So dark, no light. Where's the girl? Must protect the girl. Can't find her… _He felt around for Buffy's hand, but only felt the same cold material as before. _Is this punishment? _He thought to god. _Finally going to hell, and now I'm back. Is this punishment? For all that I've done? _He felt slight pressure touch his finger tips, warming them ever so slightly. But he pushed the thought away, confused by the strange contact. _So dark, so cold._

He was getting warmer though. Each second brought a new wave of heat that flooded him. He wondered briefly if he was burning, left in the sun somewhere. But the heat brought no pain. It felt sort of like life, like fire – though it didn't burn. He opened his eyes to the peering blackness, but there was a small light in the distance, beckoning to him. _Am I dying? Again? No, can't leave, can't leave the girl. Must fight. Stay away from the light, no more light. Stay in the darkness. _He braced himself against the returning cold, pushing off the warm feeling he'd only just greeted so welcomely.

"Why isn't it working?" Buffy asked Willow, quite as a ghost. She didn't want to interrupt the spell; it had taken so long to get it to work.

"Sh, Buffy be patient." Willow scolded without opening her eyes. The room was dark, lit only by a small candle.

The candle flickered brightly against the dark backdrop that was the night around them. She'd done her patrolling with Angel. Faith had volunteered to go along, but began to feel woozy the second she'd stepped out the door. Her accelerated slayer healing may have healed most of the concussion already, but she was still suffering from some head trauma. They all guessed she'd be fully healed in a few days time.

Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw Spike's hand twitch. She took his hand in hers and squeezed his finger tips, hoping that he knew she was with him. His fingers resumed their reach and withdraw rhythm, which worried Buffy horribly.

"He's fighting it," Willow squeezed her eyes shut tighter. "I don't know why, but he is."

Buffy sat up on her knees and looked into Spike's dead eyes that stared straight towards the ceiling, the usually electric blue looking almost grey in his comatose state. His mouth twitched as he tried to form words, but opened barely enough to show visibly. He huffed out a breath that distracted Willow long enough to curse angrily at her candle. She'd have to get new ingredients and start the spell over.

_There's the girl, there's _my _girl. _Spike felt Buffy's hand then, for the first time since their last visit to hell. _Time to protect my girl. Because my girl needs protecting. _ With an angry mental shove, he expelled the remnants of the light from him, and forced his demon forward to see into the dark with out difficulty. Suddenly he felt he could move again.

"Oh!" Buffy gasped and yanked her hand away from the hissing vampire beside her. She jumped to her feet and blocked him from Willow. She didn't know why though, Spike would never hurt Willow.

Spike violently snatched Buffy into his arms and growled low in his chest. The sound reverberated through her and for the first time in a long time, she felt scared of him. Scared to be held by such a monster. This wasn't Spike. Spike was gentle – or gentler than this anyway. He wouldn't hurt her, and he would _never _look down at her like _that_. No, this Spike scared her. More than Angelus had.

"Buffy I think I've figured this out." Willow tried to turn her focus away from the demon long enough to explain the situation to Buffy. "I think when she took his humanity, because he was all humany, he was stuck in the empty half of him. When he went into game face mode he brought back his demon and well, yeah. That's the best way I can explain it. Just a theory though, doesn't really –"she squealed as Buffy shouted out in protest against Spike's too tight embrace. "Buffy!"

Stomping sounds from the stairs alerted her that they would soon have company.

Spike had his arms wrapped around Buffy's torso, fists digging into her spine with inhuman strength. Buffy slammed her own fists against his chest but only achieved getting winded by him, leering down at her.

_What? Idiot, don't _hurt _the girl! You're supposed to be protecting her! _His human reminded him.

Ashamed, Spike righted Buffy on the floor and "gently" took her hand and leaned into her. Nervously she held him, afraid that he'd snap again. A mob of people were in her bedroom now. Giles, Tara, Dawn, Xander, Faith… Everyone. And all were holding some sort of weapon created to harm vampires.

Spike growled at them furiously, how dare they threaten him?

_Calm down, you're just going to scare the slayer. _The voice warned him again. _Do what I would do – hold her – Gently! _The voice protested as Spike made to hold her again too tightly. He forced his muscles to relax though as he wrapped an arm protectively around her middle and pulled her slowly against him – careful not to hold too tightly again.

Buffy flinched slightly, which didn't bother the demon, but made the voice in Spike's head wince terribly. _See what you've done? There – look. She's scared of you. Is that what you wanted? How are you supposed to protect her if she's scared of you? _With a slight grumble, Spike draped his other arm around her and made small circles on the back of her hand lightly with his finger. _There you go! _The voice rewarded him with strong enthusiasm.

Buffy calmed slightly, it seemed Spike was back to his somewhat normal demon self. But the human part of him – his soul? – was no where to be found.

"It's ok," she told the others. "We're fine." She pressed herself back against him, which made his human voice sigh in relief.

"Oh, good." Giles hesitated. After a long and slightly awkward silence, he gave her his information. "We found the name of this succubus, she's called Marfach. She is indeed one of the succubi that Willow discovered in the text yesterday, but she was actually from a more recent clan called the leanaí bás a fháil which translates to _immortal children. _They came from Ireland about one solid century ago. They fed off of all of the town's virgins until there were no more, and then proceeded to feed off of children. They became quite powerful there, wealthy, never hungry, that is until the slayer of the time found them and killed all but one. She let Marfach live only because she had rescued her lover from a werewolf. Really she killed him later, but by that time the slayer had already passed – but that's not relevant.

It seems that she is trying to resurrect her brother's and sister's, so that she can take rule over a small vulnerable place like they once had. So that would mean, that she didn't want Spike to _feed _off of, it would mean that she needed a superior soul to use in her ritual." He concluded.

Everyone stared at Giles, not sure what to make of the situation.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: And now… The moment we've all been waiting for/dreading. There's going to be a lot of jumping back and forth between characters in this, so try to keep up? I'm going to try to make it as non-confusing as possible, but there's only so much I can do without taking away all of the mood by writing "-BuffyPOV-" or something. So… Hope you like this chapter! Reviews please?**

Falling Through.

"Well sweety," Buffy whispered into her sleeping demon's ear. They were alone in the dark bedroom. The sun was just rising in the distance. Spike's hand rested on Buffy's arm, just over the bruise she'd received while patrolling with Angel a few hours earlier. "Look's like we're going back." She kissed his forehead gently.

_Catching up: "This succubus, she's called Marfach from a more recent clan called the leanaí bás a fháil. It seems that she is trying to resurrect her brother's and sister's, so that she can take rule over a small vulnerable place like they once had. So that would mean, that she didn't want Spike to __feed __off of, it would mean that she needed him superior soul to use in her ritual." Giles explained._

"Guys did anyone see Spike and Buffy leave?" Xander questioned to no one in particular.

Everyone glanced at each other, exchanging glances of wonder.

"They aren't upstairs?" Willow asked nervously.

"Nope."

Everyone looked around the room, questionings growing inside. No one spoke as they walked up the stairs in a hesitant group and peeked into Buffy's bedroom. Empty. As if they'd disappeared. The sheets on the bed had fallen as if they hadn't been pushed back upon being left. The lamp on the side table was still on, and Buffy's jacket lie where she'd left it on the floor beside her bed. The window was closed as it had been when they'd left for the night and the curtains were pulled across them to keep the sunlight out for Spike. Though no one was there.

"Buffy over here!" Spike shouted from behind a large chalky red boulder.

"What, did you find something?" She queried.

"Yes, check this out." He put both hands flat on the side of the rock and heaved. Huffing out a breath, he looked to see how far he'd moved it. About a half a foot. Cursing at the ceiling and taking a deep breath, he shoved against it again. Buffy's hands found themselves beside his while she pushed along side him. Together, they rolled the large bolder over enough to see a hole in the ground with a rope ladder attached to it. An enormous grin appeared on Spike's face, spreading some light over the horrid place they would be in for who knows how long. "After you." He said offering her his hand. After all their time apart, he still remembered her leader – must be in charged attitude.

She took his hand lightly, squeezing it once before she let him help her into the hole. He was right behind her – or on top of her really – as she made her way down into the dark depths of hell.

"Buffy, there's a ledge there love, on your left." Spike told her, game face forward to let his demon see into the darkness.

"Thanks, think it's safe?" She tested it with her hand, checking it's sturdiness.

"Doesn't matter, won't let you fall." He held her by the waist as she clambered onto the cold rock that jutted out of the wall. They'd been climbing for quite some time now, not seeming to be getting anywhere. Despite the bellow freezing temperatures of the never ending tunnel, Buffy still felt sweat beaded across her forehead and her neck.

Spike climbed beside her and rested back against the wall. "How much longer to you think it is?" The slayer whispered, not really wanting to hear the answer. It seemed like a new torture – the endless climb to the center of hell – though any hell with Spike in it, was heaven to her.

He put his arm around her while he looked down into the pit of despair calculating. "Not too much love, about half a mile at best." She moaned and buried her face in his chest, reaching around to wrap her arms around him. He held here there for a while, waiting for her to catch her breath until they would continue their trek down to find the succubus. And they knew she was here. How else would Spike's humanity have found him? It had jumped him out of the blue. Barely a second after they'd appeared in the dimension his humanity had leaped into him. And thank the heavens for that. He kissed the top of Buffy's head, stroking her hair to comfort her.

Xander perched on the arm of a chair in the Summers' living room. "Alright, so how long do you think we have?" He asked Willow.

"I'm thinking I'm thinking!" She flipped mindlessly through the paged of her leather bound book, searching for the spell that she was _sure _she'd read in the text only a few weeks ago. "ha! There it is!" She showed the spell to Tara who looked at it sparingly.

"It looks hard, but… But we've got to try." She took the book from her lover and set it on the ground and motioned for everyone to gather around her. Willow sat beside her, holding out her hand to the girl as they mentally prepared themselves for hell.

"Ready guys?" Willow forced her lips into a small smile. Each nodded in response.

Head spinning from dehydration, Buffy looked up to Spike who was gazing down at her over his shoulder. "Spike," she whispered, nodding her head downward. They'd come to the end of the tunnel, and she could hear the voices of many demons.

Spike nodded and climbed around her to get to the bottom of the hole. They hadn't rehearsed this, but they'd gone over it enough times since they decided they were going back to hell. Buffy climbed up a few rungs to give him space while he lowered himself down enough to hear what the demons were saying.

"I don't know _where _it is," he heard Marfach saying. "It's just _gone_." She exclaimed. _Probably disgusting my soul. _Spike thought bitterly.

"Well then they _must _be here! Have my minions not yet found them?" The devil grunted annoyed.

"If they'd found them we'd know about it already."

"Just be patient Marfach, they will not ruin the plan."

"Why are you helping me?" Marfach asked the devil. _Oh good, _Buffy thought. _I've been wondering that myself._

"Because I want revenge on that master vamp for what he's done, and I want that slayer back in my hell!" He nearly shouted.

Buffy threw a questioning glance to Spike, but he only shook it off.

"Then I wonder why you didn't just summon yourself a vengeance demon." She mused humouredly.

"Because the slayers got herself working with some powerful witches _and _an ex vengeance demon. They'd see it coming!"

Spike had heard enough. He leaped down through the hole, golden eyes gleaming and fangs bared. He landed with a crouch, growls growing louder by the second from deep inside his chest.

Buffy was quick to follow. She jumped before he'd hit the ground, landing beside him before he could recover.

"Fools!" Marfach screeched. "You've taken my soul!" Of course she was referring to Spike's. She lashed out at them, finding a long whip embedded with spikes and some sort of hissing acid. It hit the wall behind them when they threw themselves out of the way, leaving a bubbling gap where it had struck. The rock sizzled and small bits of it fell to the floor.

_Note to self,_ Buffy and Spike thought in sequence. _Avoid the long scary whip._

Buffy kicked her leg up and brought it down hard into the succubus' face. She then whirled and landed a hard fist to her back.

Spike took the advantage of a shocked Devil to land a few punches at the red beast of his own. He bit into the devil's neck harshly, ripping out flesh as he did.

"Buffy!" A familiar voice shouted.

"Quick, they need backup." A strong British voice sounded from near by.

The gang appeared in the court, taking up their own defensive positions and aiding their friends in battle.

"Spike, keep your demon forward, she cannot take your soul so easily if you hide it." Giles warned over the sounds of thrashing arms and legs. Spike obliged, grateful for the information.

The devil disappeared in a wisp of red smoke.

The succubus cursed angrily. She grabbed Spike around the throat with crushing strength, and dove for a bubbling cauldron that no one had noticed.

"Fine, if I can't put your soul in it, I'll just have to settle for you!" She threw him down hard into the hissing liquid stepped back with a face of victory.

"No Spike!" Buffy screamed.

Xander took up his ax and threw it into the skull of the succubus. She fell to the ground, unmoving. The skin began to pull itself over the large thrash wound, and she pulled herself up from the ground. All eyes fixed on her, terrified of the creature they couldn't kill.

Terrible moans filled the court, sending shivers up all spins but that of Marfach. She grinned wildly, turning to survey the cauldron excitedly. "Brothers! Sisters!" She cried rejoicing as figured began to pour out of the cauldron.

Willow began to mutter an incantation, one that Tara recognized as one to prevent a spirit from taking a corporal form.

"You!" Marfach screeched. "You're hurting my brothers and sisters!" With eyes like daggers, she sent her whip through Willow's exposed flesh, knocking her to the ground, writhing in agony as the acid ate away at her.

"Willow no!" Tara cried.

"Willow!" Xander knelt beside her, watching in horror as the acid chewed away the flesh from her arm. "Oh god."

"I've seen this before." Anya quipped. "I used it on an angry mob once. It hurts a lot." She looked down at Willow sympathetically. "Unfortunately there isn't anything we can do until her skin stops bubbling."

"But she'll live right?" Xander asked in a pleaded voice.

"Yeah, yeah, she'll be fine. The mob didn't survive because they didn't have anyone to administer the treatment. But she'll heal quickly."

"Oh thank god." Xander and Tara lifted Willow into a sitting position against a wall.

From behind Marfach, a creature stirred within the cauldron and the scoobies braced themselves.

"Buffy here!" Faith tossed a sharp silver dagger to Buffy.

Angel rushed alongside the blonde to lay a harsh blow to the succubus that knocked her backwards. From inside the cauldron, Spike reached for her hair, snapping her neck as he pulled down forcefully on it. Faith used Buffy's shoulders as an aid for flipping over the small crowd, and sliced the succubus' head of with all her force.

"Well now," Giles said after a silent moment. "That should do it." They all stared at the head that was still in Spike's hand, being held up by the hair. "So long at the two pieces don't touch, they should never heal."

"We'll burn them then." Spike snarled.

"You're alive?" Angel said with an unhappy roll of his eyes.

"Yeah, sorry to disappoint." Spike shoved against him as he walked passed to envelope himself in Buffy's tight embrace.

"No disappointment here." She whispered tearfully. "God Spike I thought you died." He squeezed her tighter.

"So then," Dawn looked at Giles. "What about the other succubus girls and guys?"

"Succubi, and incubbi," he corrected lightly. "Well, it seems that without Spike soul they couldn't be resurrected. And now with Marfach gone, they have no one to bring them back. And so they're gone."

- Quite a number of hours later -

"How ya feeling Wills?" Buffy handed her friend a cup of hot chocolate. Everyone was sitting in the living room, lights off, holding each other and watching the fire burn in the fire place.

"Oh, pretty good." Willow smiled up at Buffy. "My arm still tingles a little, but it doesn't really hurt any more. Oh and look!" She flexed her arm outward. "I can move it now too." She grinned largely.

"I'm so glad Will." Buffy hugged her affectionately before moving to curl up in her vampire's lap.

"So…" Dawn said, breaking the comfortable silence that had filled the room. "Who burned the body?"

No one said anything, waiting for someone to claim their place in destroying any chance of the succubus returning. No one did.

Outside the crickets chirped loudly, enhancing the silence growing inside.

"Damn." Xander voiced.

**A/N: And there is the end of my first Buffy fanfiction. Hope the end was intense enough. Hope you all enjoyed? Reviews please! Pretty please? With a cherry on top? I dunno, I'm kind of sad that this is over. I was enjoying writing this… Oh well. Thank you all so much for reading this, and for reviewing, and for adding this story to your favorite stories list and for adding me to your alerts! I love all of my readers! I just hope that you loved this fanfiction as much. :)**


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